Kareena Kapoor Khan was replaced by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Devdas, reveals why she ‘NEVER’ wants to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas is one of the most famous movies ever made. Devdas is one of the classic love stories that has perfectly woven the thread of friendship, love, heartbreak and sacrifice. But did you know that Aishwarya Rai had replaced Kareena Kapoor in Devdas? Apparently, Kareena was supposed to essay the role of Paro, but it was taken over by Aishwarya Rai. Kareena had revealed that she was hurt by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Kareena Kapoor Khan was replaced by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Devdas

Once, Kareena Kapoor Khan revealed that she was hurt when Sanjay Leela Bhansali suddenly replaced her in Devdas despite giving her a signing amount. In an old interview with Filmfare, Kareena was asked if she would collaborate with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for future projects. She had said, “I’ll never. What he did to me was wrong. He screen-tested me for Devdas, gave me a signing amount, then took someone else. That was wrong, it hurt especially because I was at the start of my career. It’s okay, because the day he dropped me, I signed Yaadein. Sanjay hurt me. Even if I have no work, I’ll never work with him.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s clarification

But, this is not the end of all! Later, the ace filmmaker clarified that he had not confirmed anything to the actress. He had said, “She came to my house with Neeta Lulla and said she wanted to work with me… I told her that I hadn’t seen her work and that before casting her, I needed to see what she was capable of. We fixed up a photo shoot with the right costumes. Since Babitaji and Karisma Kapoor were also at the shoot, I made it clear to all of them that the shoot wasn’t a confirmation that I would cast Kareena. They were okay with that at the time.“

He added, “After going through the photographs, I told Kareena that I felt Aishwarya Rai was fabulous and perfect for Paro; she has the aristocratic looks I required. Kareena didn’t say a word then but some days later I found her lashing out at me in print. She accused me of backing out after having given her the signing amount and contract. Believe me, this is not true. She also said I didn’t know how to make films.” 

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Well, there’s no denying that Aishwarya Rai delivered a memorable and remarkable performance in Devdas.

When Kareena Kapoor Khan replaced Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Jaane Jaan

Recently, Kareena Kapoor Khan marked her OTT debut with Jaane Jaan. The actress starred alongside Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. But, Kareena Kapoor was not the original choice to play a role in Jaane Jaan. Aishwarya Rai and Saif Ali Khan were supposed to be a part of Jaane Jaan. Previously, Aishwarya Rai had revealed that she had agreed to do the screen adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s Japanese novel The Devotion Of Suspect X.

Also read: WHAT! Kareena Kapoor backed out of Ram Leela just a week before shoot? Here’s what happened next

Vasima Kazi

Vasima Kazi has stepped her foot forward in the entertainment domain and is thrilled by its buzz. She is an active part of the Editiorial team at Bollywood Bubble and gives a part of herself in writing about celebs, TV, movies, shows, and all things entertainment. She is keen on leaving a strong online imprint and bringing the best out of herself. Apart from writing, she would not mind grabbing a steaming cup of coffee and getting lost in her world of books and fiction.