15 Bollywood Actors Who Almost Got Cast In Popular Roles But Ultimately Didn’t

    Imagine Chak De! India with Salman Khan!

    Sumedha Bharpilania
    by Sumedha Bharpilania

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Did you know that Sidharth Malhotra was actually the first choice to play Ayushmann Khurrana's character in Badhaai Ho?

    Junglee Pictures, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    2. And that Kiara Advani's breakout role in Lust Stories was first offered to Kriti Sanon.

    RSVP Movies, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    ...which she refused because of her mother.

    3. Alia Bhatt was the first choice to play Kiara Advani's role in Shershaah.

    Dharma Production, Alexandre Schneider / Getty Images for NETFLIX

    4. Not many people know this but both Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor were contenders when it came to essaying the titular character (aka Shahid Kapoor's role) in Kabir Singh.

    T-Series, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    5. Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha were actually supposed to play the leads in Raanjhanaa. Although the latter's involvement was refuted by Sonam Kapoor.

    Colour Yellow Productions, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    6. TIL that Shah Rukh Khan was approached to play Tiger in Ek Tha Tiger, a role that ultimately fit Salman Khan like a glove.

    Yash Raj Films, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    7. And that Salman Khan rejected Shah Rukh Khan's role in Chak De! India.

    Yash Raj Films, Giuseppe Cacace / AFP via Getty Images

    8. Both Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan were offered to play Shah Rukh Khan's role in Swades. Yes!

    Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, Vcg / Visual China Group via Getty Images, Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival

    9. Preity Zinta's role in Veer-Zaara was first offered to Kajol.

    Yash Raj Films, The India Today Group / India Today Group/Getty Images

    10. Ranbir Kapoor turned down Hrithik Roshan's role in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

    Excel Entertainment, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    He's also strangely refused roles in other Zoya Akhtar films — Dil Dhadakne Do and Gully Boy.

    11. And both Ranbir and Shah Rukh Khan were considered for the role that Aamir Khan ultimately ended up playing in 3 Idiots.

    Vinod Chopra Films, Sujit Jaiswal / AFP via Getty Images

    12. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif were the original choices to play Vidya Balan and Ameesha Patel's respective roles in Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

    T-Series Films, Marc Piasecki / FilmMagic, Prodip Guha / Getty Images

    13. Pakistani actor Imran Abbas, Sushant Singh Rajput, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas were all, at one point, either offered or cast in Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone's respective roles in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.

    Bhansali Productions, Strdel / AFP via Getty Images, Hindustan Times / Hindustan Times via Getty Images, Sopa Images / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images for Bulgari

    14. Sushant Singh Rajput's role in PK was offered to both Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

    Vinod Chopra Films, Hindustan Times / Hindustan Times via Getty Images, Prodip Guha / Getty Images

    15. And finally, at some point, there were reports that Sylvester Stallone (YES) would be playing the role of Salman Khan's coach in Sultan. The role ultimately went to Randeep Hooda.

    Yash Raj Films, Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for Paramount+