Check out the list of Bollywood actors who, despite being initially preferred for the roles, circumstances led to them not being cast in these blockbuster films.
Shah Rukh Khan was the first choice of Rajkumar Hirani for his film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. They even started with the pre-production of the film. However, within a few months, Shah Rukh injured himself and was advised bed rest by doctors for a lengthy period. Knowing that Hirani had already waited long to shoot the film, Shah Rukh gave him the green light to proceed and make the film with another actor. And that's how Sanjay Dutt landed the role of Munna Bhai.
Shraddha Kapoor was the original choice for the role of Preeti in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Kabir Singh. Although the director never revealed why he eventually cast Kiara Advani as the female lead, it's been stated that Vanga always envisioned Shraddha as Preeti alongside Ranveer as Kabir. However, after Ranveer declined to do the film, Vanga decided to look for another lead actor and actress.
Ranbir Kapoor was offered the role of Kabir Mehra in Dil Dhadakne Do. However, he couldn't do the film due to date issues, and that's when Ranveer Singh came on board. Although Dil Dhadakne Do was not a massive box office blockbuster, it certainly is one of the most celebrated films in Bollywood. He was also the first choice for Band Baaja Baaraat. However, things didn't materialize between the makers and him. Ranveer Singh made his debut in the same film later.
It was recently revealed that Ranveer Singh, not Shahid Kapoor, was the first choice of Sandeep Reddy Vanga for Kabir Singh. However, the actor refused to do the role, stating to Vanga that the film was too dark for him.
Deepika Padukone was supposed to be a part of Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar even before her debut film Om Shanti Om was released. However, Rockstar kept getting delayed, causing Deepika to move on with other films. Imtiaz revealed that somehow after so many years, things didn't materialize between them, and hence Nargis Fakhri was eventually cast in Rockstar.
Anushka Sharma was initially the first choice of Imtiaz Ali for the role of Tara in Tamasha. Anushka later revealed that when Imtiaz offered her the role of Tara, the character arc was different from what Deepika portrayed in the film. Anushka wasn't too keen on Tara's character when it was initially offered to her. However, she later stated that she found the way Tara's character evolved in the film to be beautiful.
Parineeti Chopra was the original choice for Geetanjali. However, Sandeep Reddy Vanga later revealed that as Animal was nearing its shoot, he realized that Parineeti wouldn't fit the character of Geetanjali and informed the actress accordingly. Not many know that Parineeti was also offered the role of Piku, but she refused to do it. Later, Deepika Padukone was cast for the film. Piku is one of the classic films of Bollywood
Saif Ali Khan was the first actor approached for the role of Raj Malhotra in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The actor was keen on doing the film but had to turn it down due to unavailability of dates. Eventually, Shah Rukh Khan was cast for the role of Raj. The film is still considered one of the most iconic films.
Ajay Devgn was the original choice for the role of Bajirao in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani. Ajay himself admitted that the makers did approach him for the role; however, things didn't work out between them due to creative issues, and hence he had to turn down the role. The role of Bajirao was eventually played by Ranveer Singh.
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