Director Shares Aishwarya Rai Was Originally Cast With SRK In 'Chalte Chalte', Replaced After One-Day Shoot

In a recent interview, director Aziz Mirza disclosed that Aishwarya Rai was originally cast in the 2003 film 'Chalte Chalte'. However, things didn't work out.

'Chalte Chalte' director confirmed that Aishwarya Rai had shot for just one day.

Source : IMDb

The passionate love story and sizzling chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji in the 2003 movie 'Chalte Chalte' have made it a treasured classic. But director Aziz Mirza recently revealed something surprising in an interview with Radio Nasha Official. He said that Rani Mukerji wasn’t the first pick for the film. It was due to unforeseen circumstances that Aishwarya Rai had to be replaced after being cast and even filmed for one day.

Aziz Mirza addressed the issues with Aishwarya Rai's participation in 'Chalte Chalte', stating, “I don’t know. Anyway, these are the areas we unfortunately...” He stated that Aishwarya spent just one day filming the song 'Prem Nagariya'. The director explained, "Yeh gaana Prem Nagariya, woh shuru kiya tha, ek din ki shooting hui thi. Unfortunately, woh nahi hua mamla. And then Rani came." (We just started the song Prem Nagariya, and one day of shooting was done. Unfortunately, things didn't work out. And then Rani came). "

Why Not Juhi Chawla?

This filmmaker has worked with Shah Rukh Khan on many films starring Juhi Chawla before  When questioned about his decision to not re-cast her for Chalte Chalte, he said, " “I just thought people might want to see someone different,” while mentioning his desire to collaborate with a new heroine on this particular project.

Produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, 'Chalte Chalte' is still regarded as a significant entrance in the Bollywood romance genre of the early 2000s, and its reputation was enhanced by Rani Mukerji's eventual casting.

Earlier, a video of Shah Rukh Khan expressing his sadness at Aishwarya Rai's sudden exit from 'Chalte Chalte' appeared online. To clarify, Shah Rukh said that the producers' choice was done in a professional manner and had nothing to do with him personally.