The year 2023 was one of the best years of Shah Rukh Khan's film career, where his films like Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki rocked the box office. Out of these, Jawan, released on the silver screen in September 2023, broke all records at the box office. South cinema's lady superstar Nayanthara made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan. But, did you know Nayanthara was not the first choice for the film? Jawan, which earned over Rs 1100 crore at the box office, would have had another South star in the lead role opposite Shah Rukh Khan, but she rejected the film due to personal reasons and her ex-husband. This development led to Nayanthara's Bollywood debut and her success.
Many are unaware that before Nayanthara, the lead role in Jawan was offered to none other than Samantha Ruth Prabhu but, at the time, the actress wanted to focus on her personal life and was planning a family with her ex-husband Naga Chaitanya, so she turned down the film. However, soon things did not work out for Samantha Ruth Prabhu as expected. Not only did she lose out on Jawan, but Samantha Ruth Prabhu also got divorced from her husband, leading to chaos in both her personal and professional life.
Jawan was then offered to Nayanthara who aced in her role as Narmada Rai, Shah Rukh Khan's character Azad's wife. Apart from Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara, Jawan also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone, Priyamani, and Sanya Malhotra. Grossing over Rs 1,148.32 crore, Jawan emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.
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