Iconic Rajinikanth films that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan almost starred in

Aishwarya Rai and Superstar Rajinikanth are two of Indian cinema's biggest icons. Yet, they have only shared the screen once, in the 2010 blockbuster 'Enthiran' or ‘Robot’. This pairing, however, was a long time in the making. According to Rajinikanth himself, speaking at an event for his film 'Chandramukhi', filmmakers tried to cast the former Miss World opposite him on four separate occasions. Scheduling conflicts reportedly kept the collaboration from happening, leading to some of Kollywood's most legendary casting 'what-ifs'.

The long wait for 'Sivaji'

Before ‘Enthiran’, director Shankar wanted Aishwarya Rai for ‘Sivaji: The Boss’, Rajinikanth’s 100th Tamil film. The grand project, was envisioned as a social drama highlighting corruption and money laundering. However, due to date clashes, Aishwarya couldn’t come on board. Shriya Saran was eventually cast as the female lead. The film became a major success, solidifying Rajinikanth’s mass appeal and setting new benchmarks in Tamil cinema.

The complex lead in 'Chandramukhi'

At the silver jubilee celebration of ‘Chandramukhi’, Rajinikanth revealed that Aishwarya Rai was initially approached to play the role of Ganga, which was ultimately portrayed by Jyothika. The actor shared that he was uncertain if Jyothika could handle the demanding dual role but was later convinced by director P. Vasu’s confidence in her. Jyothika’s performance became iconic, earning critical acclaim for her portrayal of a woman with dissociative identity disorder. Rajini even wondered how different the film might have felt with Aishwarya in that role.

A supernatural role in 'Baba'

Rajinikanth’s ‘Baba’, written and produced by the superstar himself, was another project where Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for the female lead. However, the role eventually went to Manisha Koirala after Aishwarya declined. The film, a spiritual fantasy drama directed by Suresh Krissna, focused on an atheist’s journey toward enlightenment. Despite its high production values and music by A. R. Rahman, the movie underperformed at the box office. Still, it remains a cult favorite among Rajinikanth fans for its message and music.

The iconic villain role in 'Padayappa'

K. S. Ravikumar’s ‘Padayappa’ (1999) was another film that almost featured Aishwarya Rai. The filmmakers initially wanted her to play Neelambari, the powerful and vengeful character opposite Rajinikanth. When Aishwarya couldn’t sign the project, the role went to Ramya Krishnan, who delivered a performance that became one of the most iconic female antagonists in Indian cinema. The film also starred Soundarya and Sivaji Ganesan and became one of Rajinikanth’s biggest hits of the decade.