Do You Know Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Rejected Aamir Khan's 'Raja Hindustani'? Here's Why She Did It

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of the most beautiful actresses in B-Town. Not only her looks but also her acting prowess have grabbed a lot of limelight. Besides being a phenomenal actress, Aishwarya is a well-known model. She won the 1994 Miss World beauty pageant and made India proud. In 2009, Aishwarya was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Indian government. 

She made her Bollywood debut with the film, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, co-starring Bobby Deol. But do you know Aishwarya would have been in the hit film, Raja Hindustani, starring Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor? Yes, you read it right. It was the Bollywood diva who rejected the offer. And now that the Devdas actress is about to turn a year older, let’s explore why she did this.

Why did Aishwarya Rai Bachchan reject the offer to star in the all-time blockbuster, Raja Hindustani?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of the most gorgeous actresses who gave Sushmita Sen a tough competition in the 1994 Miss India beauty pageant. However, destiny had other plans, and Aishwarya lost the crown to Sushmita, becoming the first runner-up. During the '90s, Aishwarya’s beauty also grabbed a lot of attention, and the filmmakers were eager to cast her in their films. But she declined a few film offers only to compete in the 1994 Miss India beauty pageant. 

Among the few film offers, there was Dharmesh Darshan’s hit movie, Raja Hindustani, starring Aamir Khan. In a 2012 interview with Vogue, Aishwarya herself addressed the matter and shared the reason for the decision. During the conversation, the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil star shared that if she hadn’t taken part in the beauty contest, Raja Hindustani would have been her debut. She was quoted as saying:

"I’m often cited as the person who established the beauty pageant-to-films route, but that was not the case with me. I had at least four film offers before the pageants. In fact, I decided to participate in Miss India to step back from the film industry for a bit. If I hadn’t taken part in Miss India, Raja Hindustani [1996] would have been my first film."

Karisma Kapoor got a chance in Raja Hindustani after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Earlier, this year, in 2025, in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the Raja Hindustani director, Dharmesh Darshan, revealed that Aishwarya was the first choice, but due to her Miss World obligation, it didn’t happen. And then the iconic 'Memsaab' role went to Karisma Kapoor, who earned wide acclaim through her performance. Dharmesh was quoted as saying:

"She was also my first choice for the role of Memsaab in Raja Hindustani (1996). My heart was on her. But she urgently had to go for Miss World. I didn't want to take any chances as I wanted an actress who could devote her full time to the film and Bollywood. It was her sheer grace that she didn't hold it in her heart."

When Aishwarya Rai Bachchan talked about her acting debut with Mani Ratnam's Iruvar

For the uninitiated, Aishwarya made her acting debut with the Tamil film, Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam. In a past interview with Femina, Aishwarya revealed that after winning the Miss World 1994 title, she received offers from Mani Ratnam and Rajiv Menon. She expressed that, as an admirer of Mani Ratnam, she accepted the offer and starred in the epic political drama. She was quoted as saying:

"During the title year, both Mani Ratnam and Rajiv Menon got in touch. I was an admirer of Mani Ratnam’s cinema, so Iruvar (debut) happened. Again, my story was an unconventional one. Unlike other newcomers who waited to see the fate of their first film, I’d already signed two to three films. Long story short, when I started shooting 'Iruvar' with Mani, my inner voice told me this was home."

What are your thoughts on Aishwarya's decision to reject Raja Hindustani? Let us know.

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