Subhash Ghai rejected Aishwarya Rai for Taal, Mani Ratnam's Iruvar changed his mind: ‘She belongs to cosmetic world’
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Subhash Ghai's 1999 hit Taal remains one of his most memorable films. Apart from the movie's love story, the movie is remembered for its music and Aishwarya Rai's dance performances. However, while Aishwarya's role of Mansi in the movie remains iconic, Subhash Ghai, in a recent interaction, opened up that he initially rejected the star.
Adding to this, Taal starred Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor in lead roles. 'Aish belongs to the cosmetic world' In conversation with Times Now, the filmmaker opened up that it was Saroj Khan who recommended Aishwarya's name. However, since the star had won the Miss World title just five years before the movie's rollout, in 1994, he initially thought of her as belonging to the cosmetic world and did not consider her suitable to play the simple, small-town girl in the movie. Saroj Khan had choreographed the movie's iconic song Ramta Jogi in Taal.
Meanwhile, The director recalled asking Saroj who, apart from Madhuri Dixit, could handle the demanding dance requirements of the character. Sharing her response, he shared, “Saroj Khan recommended her name. I asked her that there are 3-4 heroines currently, and who dances the best. She took Aish’s name. I was shocked and told her that Aish belongs to the cosmetic world."
Notably, Subhash wasn't convinced of Aishwarya's ability to play the role until he saw her work in the Tamil movie Iruvar with ace director Mani Ratnam. “I saw 1-2 films of her so I felt that she was more on the modelling and cosmetic side. A friend of mine asked me to watch her Mani Ratnam movie. Mani Ratnam kept a trial for me and when I saw the Tamil movie Iruvar, I knew that she was the girl. I told her that you won’t have makeup at all in the beginning and then it would increase slowly, and you would eventually become a diva,” he recalled.
As per the latest buzz, Subhash admitted that Aishwarya surrendered to his vision for Taal and lauded her commitment to the role. He even went on to compare her with Amitabh Bachchan, saying that the megastar also surrenders to the director's vision despite being one of the biggest actors in the country.
In further updates, Taal was co-written, edited, produced and directed by Subhash Ghai. The movie stars Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Akshaye Khanna in the lead roles, while Amrish Puri and Alok Nath feature in supporting roles. The movie was a major commercial success at the domestic and overseas ticket-window.
On top of that, Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through movie reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, star interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, star features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times