Aishwarya Rai has shared screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in several popular Hindi films, including Devdas, Mohabbatein and Josh. Their chemistry was widely appreciated, but their professional association also became the subject of discussion after Aishwarya was reportedly replaced in several projects. The issue resurfaced over the years, particularly around the 2003 film Chalte Chalte, where Rani Mukerji eventually took the lead role.
Aishwarya was reportedly the first choice for Chalte Chalte
Chalte Chalte, released in 2003, originally had Aishwarya Rai attached to the project, according to reports from that period. She was later replaced by Rani Mukerji, leading to considerable speculation about what had happened behind the scenes.
Reports at the time linked the change to disturbances involving Salman Khan, who was then in a relationship with Aishwarya. It was reported that his presence on the set created difficulties for the production and affected the shooting schedule. While these accounts have circulated for years, the specific circumstances surrounding the decision have been discussed through various versions of the events rather than established through an official production account.
Aishwarya later spoke about losing several projects
In an interview with Simi Garewal, Aishwarya addressed the broader issue of projects that she had expected to do with Shah Rukh Khan but ultimately did not happen. She said that there were several films for which the two had been expected to work together, but the projects changed without the decision being hers.
Aishwarya recalled feeling surprised and hurt by the experience, particularly because she did not have control over the casting decisions. Reports have subsequently linked films such as Veer-Zaara and Kal Ho Naa Ho to discussions about projects from which she was absent, although the circumstances varied from film to film.
Shah Rukh Khan later called the decision a mistake
Shah Rukh Khan also addressed the matter publicly and acknowledged that Aishwarya’s removal from projects was difficult. In an interview, he described her as a good friend and said he felt that he had made a mistake in the situation.
At the same time, Shah Rukh explained that filmmaking involves decisions made by several people, particularly when multiple producers and companies are involved. He said that the choice was not solely his and that the interests of the production had to be considered.
Shah Rukh explained the producer’s position
Shah Rukh further explained that he was not the only person involved in the production decisions. He referred to the larger team working on the project and said that another company, UTV, was also associated with the production. According to his account, the decision involved several people and was influenced by the need to complete the film within a particular schedule.
He also stressed that Aishwarya was a professional actor and praised her abilities. While he described the decision as a professional one from the producers’ perspective, he acknowledged that it had personal consequences and said he had apologised to her.
The episode remains one of the more discussed casting stories involving two major Bollywood stars. Despite the controversy surrounding their past projects, Shah Rukh and Aishwarya went on to remain among the most recognised actors of their generation, with their collaborations continuing to be remembered by Hindi cinema audiences.