Not Karisma Kapoor but Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for 'Raja Hindustani' with Aamir Khan; here's why the actress rejected it

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is often celebrated as one of the most stunning and talented actresses in Bollywood. Her beauty, combined with her exceptional acting skills, has long made her a standout in the industry. The actress is known for a long list of movies, from 'Taal' to 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' to 'Raincoat', and many more. While fans miss her on screen now, she has a long list of movies and roles which have remained iconic. But there have been many movies which she was meant to do and ended up not being a part of. One such movie is 'Raja Hindustani' and Aishwarya was the first choice for the part.

She made her Bollywood debut with ‘Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya’, opposite Bobby Deol. However, few know that Aishwarya was originally approached to star in Dharmesh Darshan’s blockbuster ‘Raja Hindustani’, alongside Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Interestingly, she turned down the offer, a decision that changed the course of her early career. As the ‘Devdas’ actress prepares to celebrate her birthday, it’s worth revisiting why she chose to walk away from what became one of the biggest hits of the 1990s.


Aishwarya was already a hot favourite among filmmakers, receiving multiple film offers even before she participated in any pageant. Yet, she declined them all, choosing instead to focus on her journey in the world of pageantry.

Among the projects she turned down was Dharmesh Darshan’s ‘Raja Hindustani’. In a 2012 interview with Vogue, Aishwarya addressed the long-standing curiosity about that decision. Reflecting on that phase of her life, she explained, “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 the pageant, Raja Hindustani [1996] would have been my first film.”

Years later, in 2025, filmmaker Dharmesh Darshan confirmed Aishwarya’s early connection with the project during an interview with Bollywood Hungama. He revealed that she had been his original choice for the lead role, 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.”

The actress was last seen in Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan 2'.