Did you know not Aishwarya Rai but Kajol was the first choice to play Shah Rukh Khan’s sister in Josh?

As a lifestyle expert with a deep appreciation for Bollywood history, I must say that the behind-the-scenes story of Josh is as captivating as the film itself. The revelation that Kajol was initially approached for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s role is fascinating, especially considering their iconic roles in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.


The 2000 movie “Josh” depicted the intense rivalry between the Eagles and Bichhoos. Despite their hatred as gang leaders, they learned about love and kindness from their respective siblings. In this film, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan portrayed Shah Rukh Khan’s twin sister, leading one of the factions. However, it was Kajol who was originally intended for the role, as revealed by director Mansoor Khan later on.

During a conversation with India Now and How on YouTube, the director revealed that he pitched Josh’s tale to Kajol, intending for her to portray Shah Rukh Khan’s character Max’s sister. Mansoor Khan expressed this as an unforgivable act, saying “This is the greatest blasphemy, following Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.” However, upon hearing the narrative, Kajol from Do Patti stood up and indicated her readiness to depart from the filmmaker’s residence.

When he inquired if she was taking on the movie role, Kajol replied, ‘No, I wish to portray Max instead’, and then she departed. At this juncture, Khan started feeling apprehensive about finding an actress suitable for playing Max’s sister. However, fortunately, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan consented to star in the film. The director, Mansoor, praised the Jodhaa Akbar actress as ‘highly professional’, revealing that she never uttered a single complaint. According to him, Josh was her finest performance.

In the continuation of the interview, Josh Helmer expressed his thoughts about the selection of the lead actor in the film, mentioning that there seemed to be a great deal of ambiguity. He further clarified that both characters were equally significant to him, and he had consistently envisioned Shah Rukh Khan as the ideal candidate for the role of Max.

Yet, it was his plan to feature Aamir Khan as Rahul Sharma, who was originally played by Chandrachur Singh, in the movie. He apparently thought that Aamir would be taking on the main role when he presented the script to the highly-skilled actor.

At that point, SRK too turned down the chance to host the show since he felt that the lead actor of PK was chosen for the movie instead. Fortunately, everything went according to plan, and the film was produced with the perfect ensemble. The romantic-action blockbuster proved successful at the box office.

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2024-11-22 20:53