Not Deepika Padukone, this actress was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's first choice for both Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat

Deepika Padukone is one of the highest-paid actors in the Hindi film industry as she has showcased her incredible talent in films like Chhapaak, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, Gehraiyaan, and Cocktail among others. She has always impressed the audiences and critics with her powerful and earnest performances.

The actress has collaborated with Sanjay Leela Bhansali thrice for Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015), and Padmaavat (2018). But do you know, she was actually not Bhansali's original choice for the last two films when he had initially planned these films earlier in his career? It was none other than Aishwaryai Rai Bachchan, who worked with the maverick filmmaker in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), and Gujaarish (2010). 

The director had announced Bajirao Mastani in 2003 with Salman Khan as the lead and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was in talks to play the female lead but the project was indefinitely shelved until he picked it up later again. Also, Bhansali had wanted to make Padmaavat since a decade and had also offered Allaudin Khilji's role to Shah Rukh Khan, but the latter had declined as he had revealed later that he didn't wish to glorify a murderer like Khilji.

It was in August 2018 when Aishwarya Rai herself shared that she was offered the above two films. While talking to SpotboyE, she said, "He didn’t get the Bajirao for me. He wanted me to do Padmaavat, but could not get the Khilji for me, at the casting time. So, that’s how it didn’t happen. At the end of the day, you need to see the casting. If the casting is not happening, then sometimes, it doesn’t come together. The intention is always there to work together, but it didn’t happen. We both loved working with each other, so let’s see, whenever it is meant to be."

It will be interesting to see who, among Deepika and Aishwarya, gets her fourth film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. As per reports, the director's next project is Baiju Bawra, in which he has cast Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. He hasn't officially announced his next film after Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).

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