Flashback Friday: When Shah Rukh Khan had Aishwarya Rai dropped from Veer Zaara, the actress was never told why

Veer Zaara is one of those epic romances from Bollywood which are timeless. The film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji in key roles is on the list of favorites for many Bollywood fans and has completed 17 years since its release. However, this seemingly perfect Yash Chopra directorial faced its own issues when it came to the casting of the project.

For example, did you know Shah Rukh Khan apparently had Aishwarya Rai dropped from the film? Well, Veer Zaara wasn’t the only project the actress had to lose due to SRK, the actress was allegedly dropped from as many as five films on the superstar’s instruction.

Aishwarya and Shah Rukh had collaborated on a few projects before Veer Zaara like Shakti, Mohabbatein, Josh, and Devdas and shared a good rapport. However, the actress was unceremoniously dropped from Chalte Chalte, Veer Zaara, and a few more of Shah Rukh Khan’s projects which she was offered. The actress was asked about the same during an interview with Simi Garewal.

Sharing her feelings on the matter she Aishwarya had said, “How can I have the answer to that? Yes, at the time, there was talk of a couple of films that we would be working in together. And then, suddenly they weren’t happening, without any explanation whatsoever. I have never had the answer to why.”

Shah Rukh Khan too had admitted to having Aishwarya removed from films for no fault of her own. He told India Today in an interview he had apologized to Aishwarya on realizing his mistake.  “To start a project with someone and then change her for no fault of hers is very difficult. It is very sad as Ash is a good friend. Personally I think I did wrong. But as a producer it made sense. I apologised to Ash,” the actor had said in 2003.

 Aishwarya didn’t react to Shah Rukh’s apology or explanation. She, however, did tell Simi that she did not go looking for explanations after being dropped.  “See, at the time, when you have no explanation, you’re obviously completely taken aback, and confused, and hurt. You wonder about it. If a person feels a need to explain it, they will. If they never did, they never intend to. So, it’s not in my nature to get into questioning what and why. Probably within myself, but I wouldn’t go up to a person and ask why. By the grace of God, I’m not defined by the other,” the actress had said.

Aishwarya was the first actress to be approached for the role that Rani Mukerji then went on to play in Veer Zaara much like replacing her in Chalte Chalte.