Salman As Kabir, SRK As Rancho! Iconic Bollywood Roles That Almost Had Different Stars
From roles turned down to projects lost to injuries, dates and pay disputes, these casting decisions helped shape some of Bollywood’s most memorable films.
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Imagine ‘3 Idiots’ without Aamir Khan’s Rancho, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ without Preity Zinta’s Naina, or ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ without Karisma Kapoor’s heartbroken Nisha. Almost impossible, right? Once an actor makes a character their own, it becomes difficult to picture anyone else delivering those lines, singing those songs or breaking our hearts quite the same way.
Yet some of Hindi cinema’s most memorable performances emerged after another star passed on the opportunity. Sometimes the script didn’t click. Sometimes dates, money or family commitments got in the way. And sometimes an actor had already said yes before circumstances forced a withdrawal. The reasons matter: a medical setback is hardly the same thing as dismissing a film’s potential.
So, which Bollywood stars let these famous roles go, and who eventually made them unforgettable? Here are the stories, including the important qualifications behind a few much-repeated casting claims.
1. Shah Rukh Khan - 3 Idiots and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Before Rancho became synonymous with Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan had worked on ‘3 Idiots’ with director Rajkumar Hirani, even participating in the casting process. In a 2023 interview with MBC Group, Shah Rukh explained that a delayed film and another injury created scheduling problems. Rather than holding up an ambitious project, he asked Hirani to proceed. Aamir eventually led the film alongside R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Boman Irani. Released on December 25, 2009, the campus comedy gave audiences a rebellion against rote learning that still strikes a chord.
Their earlier near-collaboration was equally tantalising. Shah Rukh recalled agreeing to ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’ because he loved the title, before even hearing the script. However, a spinal injury and surgery left his recovery schedule uncertain. Sanjay Dutt ultimately became the lovable gangster who brings unconventional lessons in compassion to medical college. Hirani’s film, released on December 19, 2003, also featured Arshad Warsi, Gracy Singh, Boman Irani and Sunil Dutt.
2. Salman Khan - Chak De! India and Baazigar
Salman Khan coaching the women’s hockey team? That version of ‘Chak De! India’ came surprisingly close to happening. Salman acknowledged being offered the film and, in an interview after its release, said he had reservations about the climax. He also admitted that Aditya Chopra had been right about the project’s potential. Shah Rukh Khan eventually played disgraced player-turned-coach Kabir Khan in Shimit Amin’s sports drama, released on August 10, 2007, with Vidya Malavade, Sagarika Ghatge, Shilpa Shukla and Chitrashi Rawat among the ensemble. The result was a performance that made a quiet pep talk feel as stirring as a stadium roar.
Salman also passed on Abbas–Mustan’s ‘Baazigar’, released on November 12, 1993. According to his account, his father Salim Khan suggested adding a mother-related emotional angle to soften the revenge-driven protagonist; the filmmakers initially resisted, and Salman declined. Shah Rukh took on the morally disturbing Ajay Sharma/Vicky Malhotra, alongside Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Rakhee and Dalip Tahil. Salman later said that the mother angle was incorporated after his departure.
3. Akshay Kumar - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Akshay Kumar has been refreshingly direct about this missed opportunity. At HT India’s Most Stylish Awards in 2019, he acknowledged that he had been offered ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ but chose ‘Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara!’ instead. He also expressed regret about passing on it. Farhan Akhtar eventually stepped into Milkha Singh’s running shoes for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s biographical sports drama. Released on July 12, 2013, it also starred Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta and Pavan Malhotra. Farhan’s performance followed the athlete through Partition trauma, military life and sporting ambition, giving the film considerably more to run on than a conventional underdog story.
4. Kareena Kapoor Khan - Kal Ho Naa Ho and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela
Naina’s glasses and New York heartbreak could have belonged to Kareena Kapoor Khan. Her exit from ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ involved a remuneration disagreement. In a 2003 Rediff interview, Kareena said the issue was more complicated than simply quoting a large fee: she maintained that the amount offered was half of what had previously been promised. Preity Zinta eventually played Naina opposite Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, with Jaya Bachchan in a key role. Directed by Nikhil Advani, and written and produced by Karan Johar, the film released on November 28, 2003.
Kareena also walked away from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’. Explaining her decision in 2013, she said she had changed her mind and chosen ‘Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’ instead, describing her choices as dependent on her mood. Deepika Padukone became Leela opposite Ranveer Singh’s Ram, with Supriya Pathak and Richa Chadha among the supporting cast. Released on November 15, 2013, the turbulent romance became the first released film to pair Ranveer and Deepika as leads. Their chemistry gave Bhansali’s doomed lovers a life far beyond the film’s final frame.
5. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Before Rani Mukerji’s Tina walked into college and instantly caught Rahul’s attention, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had been approached for the part. In a 1999 Filmfare interview, she explained that, as a newcomer already being compared with established actresses, she worried the glamorous role would reinforce assumptions that she was merely repeating her modelling image. Her concern also extended to how Tina contrasted with the woman the hero ultimately returned to. Rani Mukerji eventually joined Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, with Salman Khan making a special appearance in Karan Johar’s directorial debut. Released on October 16, 1998, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ made Tina memorable despite her comparatively brief screen time.
6. Kangana Ranaut - The Dirty Picture
Some casting stories come with a frank admission of misjudgement. Discussing ‘The Dirty Picture’ in 2021, Kangana Ranaut acknowledged that she had not recognised the film’s potential. She also praised Vidya Balan’s performance and said she did not think she would have done it better. Vidya ultimately played Silk, the ambitious performer at the centre of Milan Luthria’s drama, alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor. Released on December 2, 2011, the film explored desire, celebrity and the industry’s double standards. Vidya’s commanding turn brought her the National Film Award for Best Actress - quite an outcome for an opportunity someone else had underestimated.
7. Hrithik Roshan - Swades
Hrithik Roshan’s explanation for declining ‘Swades’ was more thoughtful than the often-repeated claim that he simply found it unexciting. Speaking to Bombay Times, he said he had read Ashutosh Gowariker’s script but could not see it from the director’s perspective and did not feel equipped to translate that vision into a performance. Shah Rukh Khan eventually played Mohan Bhargava, the NASA employee whose return to India forces him to reconsider where he belongs. Released on December 17, 2004, the film also featured Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal and Daya Shankar Pandey. Hrithik later called ‘Swades’ one of his favourite films: declining a part clearly didn’t mean he stopped admiring the finished result.
8. Shahid Kapoor - Rang De Basanti
For Shahid Kapoor, the script was powerful enough to bring tears, but his calendar still wouldn’t cooperate. On BFFs With Vogue, he said he had been offered the part eventually played by Siddharth in ‘Rang De Basanti’, loved the material and regretted being unable to make time for it. Siddharth became Karan, a wealthy young man drawn into his friends’ political awakening. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film released on January 26, 2006, with Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and Alice Patten, plus R. Madhavan in a pivotal role.
9. Kajol - Veer-Zaara and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
Kajol’s connection to ‘Veer-Zaara’ has support beyond generic casting lists. In a Bollywood Hungama interview, filmmaker Kunal Kohli recalled Aditya Chopra pointing out that she had already declined the film. However, that account does not establish her precise reason, so the familiar pregnancy explanation should not be presented as confirmed. Preity Zinta ultimately played Zaara opposite Shah Rukh Khan, with Rani Mukerji as lawyer Saamiya in Yash Chopra’s cross-border romance. Released on November 12, 2004, it also featured Divya Dutta and Kirron Kher, with special appearances by Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Manoj Bajpayee.
There is a clearer firsthand explanation for Kajol’s decision to decline Karan Johar’s ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. In a 2025 interview, she said the extended overseas schedule would have meant being away from her young daughter and family for too long. Rani Mukerji eventually played Maya in the drama, released on August 11, 2006, alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan and Kirron Kher.
10. Katrina Kaif - Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Deepika Padukone’s Naina has become inseparable from ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, but Katrina Kaif was reportedly approached first. In a 2023 Times of India report, journalist Subhash K. Jha quoted a source close to the production saying that Katrina’s dates had been discussed before ‘Dhoom 3’ created a clash. According to that account, she chose the opportunity to work with Aamir Khan. This remains a source-based report, rather than Katrina’s own on-record explanation. Deepika ultimately joined Ranbir Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur and Kalki Koechlin in Ayan Mukerji’s film, released on May 31, 2013. Her journey from reserved student to a woman confident about what she wants gave this friendship-and-romance favourite much of its emotional pull.
11. Manisha Koirala - Dil To Pagal Hai
Even established stars can be intimidated by the prospect of sharing the screen with someone they admire. Manisha Koirala admitted that she backed out of Yash Chopra’s ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ because she felt insecure about being pitted against Madhuri Dixit. Looking back in a 2024 interview, she described it as a missed opportunity and said she later refused to let similar fears stop her from doing ‘Lajja’ with Madhuri. The part of Nisha ultimately went to Karisma Kapoor, who starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri, with Akshay Kumar in a special appearance. Released on October 30, 1997, the musical turned Nisha’s unrequited love into one of its most affecting storylines.
12. Juhi Chawla - Dil To Pagal Hai
The same role also passed through Juhi Chawla’s hands. In a 2014 Rediff interview, Juhi said she had not wanted to play second lead to Madhuri Dixit and candidly described her younger self as having made foolish decisions. Karisma Kapoor eventually took on Nisha in Yash Chopra’s film, released on October 30, 1997, opposite Shah Rukh Khan, with Madhuri Dixit and Akshay Kumar completing the principal romantic ensemble. The delicious twist? The role Juhi declined earned Karisma the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Juhi and Madhuri finally shared the screen in ‘Gulaab Gang’, years after that earlier opportunity slipped away.
13. Shatrughan Sinha - Deewaar and Sholay
Shatrughan Sinha has said that ‘Deewaar’ was written with him in mind and that he kept the script for roughly six months before returning it following a “clash of thoughts” between people involved. Amitabh Bachchan eventually played Vijay, opposite Shashi Kapoor’s policeman brother, in Yash Chopra’s drama. Released on January 24, 1975, the film also starred Nirupa Roy, Parveen Babi and Neetu Singh. Its morally divided brothers became one of Hindi cinema’s defining screen relationships.
His frequently repeated ‘Sholay’ story needs a qualification. Shatrughan Sinha has said that scheduling difficulties prevented him from playing Jai, the part Amitabh Bachchan ultimately portrayed. However, director Ramesh Sippy has said he never formally offered Shatrughan Sinha the role. Released on August 15, 1975, Sippy’s film featured Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan.
14. Anushka Sharma - Tamasha
Anushka Sharma wanted her first collaboration with Imtiaz Ali to feel special, and ‘Tamasha’ wasn’t the project she felt was right for her. In a 2016 Bollywood Hungama interview, she confirmed being offered the film and said she had been honest with the director about that feeling. Deepika Padukone eventually played Tara, opposite Ranbir Kapoor’s Ved, in the drama released on November 27, 2015. Piyush Mishra and Javed Sheikh also featured in the film, which followed Ved’s struggle between the life expected of him and the storyteller he wanted to be.
15. Dev Anand - Zanjeer
Before Amitabh Bachchan’s simmering anger helped reshape the Hindi film hero, Dev Anand was approached for Prakash Mehra’s ‘Zanjeer’. Mehra recalled in a 1998 Rediff account that Dev wanted songs added for the protagonist and also proposed making the film under his Navketan banner. Mehra did not agree to those terms, and the casting did not work out. The distinction matters: ‘Zanjeer’ had songs, but its brooding hero was not built around the conventional singing-and-dancing routine. Big B eventually played Inspector Vijay, alongside Jaya Bhaduri, Pran, Ajit and Bindu. Released on May 11, 1973, the film helped establish his Angry Young Man image.
A finished film makes its casting look inevitable. The journey there is usually much messier: an unavailable star, an unresolved negotiation, a character someone cannot connect with, or a personal priority that matters more. These stories are irresistible because we know how the films turned out. The actors making those decisions had to choose before anyone knew which performances would make history.
