Sanjay Leela Bhansali originally envisioned Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai as the leads for Bajirao Mastani, following their successful pairing in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. However, the project with them never materialized, sparking rumors of a fallout between Bhansali and Aishwarya. Ultimately, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh took on the roles, delivering a memorable performance in the film.
Clarifying the Rumors
In a 2004 Koffee with Karan episode, Sanjay Leela Bhansali addressed rumors about a fallout with Aishwarya Rai, explaining that misunderstandings had fueled the speculation. Aishwarya clarified that a misleading quote attributed to her about rejecting Bajirao Mastani was published in a magazine. She explained that she had never given the interview and was able to have the journalist speak to Bhansali to clear up the misunderstanding.
Miscommunication Over Bajirao Mastani
Aishwarya Rai explained that she and Sanjay Leela Bhansali had already discussed not working together on Bajirao Mastani before any rumors emerged. She clarified that while she was open to playing Mastani, the vision Bhansali had for the role of Bajirao didn't align with hers. Media speculation about her "walking out" of the film hurt both of them, especially since she was recovering from an injury at the time and hadn't been able to communicate directly with Bhansali.
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Do you think Bhansali's choice of casting Deepika and Ranveer was justified?
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Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aishwarya Rai shared their thoughts on the tension around Bajirao Mastani. Bhansali revealed his hurt over Aishwarya not taking the role, noting they hadn’t spoken for over a year due to misunderstandings and media speculation. He admitted their friendship had ups and downs, with frequent arguments. Aishwarya, however, clarified that the rift was over a miscommunication, particularly when Bhansali didn't visit her during her hospital stay, even though they had previously agreed not to work together on the film.
Bhansali’s Reflections on Friendship and Casting Challenges
Sanjay Leela Bhansali reflected on the challenges of casting the role of Mastani, noting that other actresses, including Kareena Kapoor, created difficulties due to existing commitments. Bhansali shared that he initially wanted Kareena to work exclusively on his film with Salman Khan, but she didn’t want to wait, which led to her not being cast.
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