Not Karisma Kapoor but Aishwarya Rai and these two other actors were the first choice for Raja Hindustani - Find out

Bollywood movies and the trivia that walk along with them are sometimes as dramatic as the movies. They are fascinating because, sometimes, if things hadn’t changed, the movies would have been entirely different. Raja Hindustani is one of the cult classics in Hindi cinema, as it was a movie of many firsts. The film, spoken about for the longest onscreen kiss till then, has trivia and facts that are rarely discussed. Over the years, the movie has become synonymous with Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor, which is great, but what if we told you Karisma Kapoor was not the first choice for the movie? In fact, there were three major names in contention, one of them being Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Karisma Kapoor Wasn't The First Choice For Raja Hindustani

You read that right. Karisma’s performance in Raja Hindustani is one of the most discussed on the internet. While some called it her best, others criticized it. But what is great is that the movie, over the years, has attained cult classic status and is loved for everything from the songs to the story to Aamir and Karisma Kapoor. As per reports, not just Aishwarya but even Juhi Chawla and Pooja Bhatt were offered the role. Read on to know everything you should about the same.

Directed by Dharmesh Darshan, Raja Hindustani stars Karisma Kapoor as Arti Sehgal. As per reports, Dharmesh first thought of casting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, or Pooja Bhatt. However, due to one reason or another, none of these three actors made it to the final casting pool, and the movie ultimately went to Karisma Kapoor.

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Recently, in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan discussed Mela on its 25th anniversary. The filmmaker confirmed that, not just for Mela, Aishwarya Rai was also in contention to play Rupa in Mela, a role eventually played by Twinkle Khanna. He managed to include Aishwarya in the movie as a cameo, but he didn’t mention considering Juhi Chawla or Pooja Bhatt.

Dharmesh revealed, "She was also my first choice for the role of Memsaab in Raja Hindustani. My heart was set on her. But she urgently had to go for Miss World. I didn't want to take any chances as I wanted an actress who could devote her full time to the film and Bollywood. It was her sheer grace that she didn't hold it in her heart."

You can watch Raja Hindustani on JioCinema in India with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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