When Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, aiming to be Miss World, was approached for Shah Rukh Khan-Sunny Deol’s Darr

Before finalizing the trio of Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla for the movie Darr, Yash Chopra’s film went through several casting changes. Designer Neeta Lulla has recently disclosed that at one point, Aishwarya Rai’s name was also considered for the leading lady role. Unfortunately though, that did not work out and the reason is Aishwarya aiming to be Miss World.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Neeta Lulla recalled that Yash Chopra had contemplated casting Aishwarya in the film and they even conducted a look test, where she looked beautiful. However, Yash Chopra was aware of Aishwarya’s commitments, including her participation in the Miss World pageant and they decided it might not work out at that time.

Aishwarya Rai has often spoken about her admiration for Yash Chopra, and he played a significant role in encouraging her to venture into acting even before she won the Miss India title. Aishwarya was already a popular model before her beauty pageant victories.

In a 2012 event, Aishwarya Rai expressed how Yashji holds a special place in her heart because he played a crucial role in her entry into the film industry. She revealed that Yash Chopra persistently spoke to her for two years before she decided to join the industry, convincing her to take the leap. According to IANS, she fondly recalled how Yashji used to playfully tease her, suggesting she become an architect and design his sets, assuring her that eventually, she would end up in front of the camera, which indeed happened. Yash Chopra’s encouragement and support made him an incredibly special person in Aishwarya’s life.

Aishwarya Rai’s initial collaboration with YRF (Yash Raj Films) was in the movie Mohabbatein, which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Although she went on to work in several other YRF films, the actress never had the opportunity to work in a movie directed by Yash Chopra himself.