A little-known fact from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 classic Devdas involving Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Salman Khan might just leave you stunned.
For decades, viewers have admired the breathtaking chemistry between Shah Rukh and Aishwarya in the romantic song Morey Piya, but few knew that one of the song’s most tender moments wasn’t filmed with Shah Rukh at all.
The close-up scene where Devdas (played by Shah Rukh) gently removes a thorn from Paro’s (Aishwarya's) foot was, in fact, performed by Aishwarya’s former boyfriend Salman Khan, despite the couple having already broken up.
This surprising moment was preserved in film lore thanks to author Anupama Chopra, who shared the behind-the-scenes anecdote in her book on the making of Devdas. According to her, while Shah Rukh and Aishwarya were preparing to shoot the romantic sequence, Salman was present on set. He stepped forward to demonstrate how to perform the intimate gesture. Though their relationship had ended on a bitter note, Salman’s interaction with Aishwarya for that scene was calm and unexpectedly tender.
SLB kept the camera rolling during this unscripted interaction. The shot was later edited into the final cut, immortalising the fleeting moment. The scene, deliberately shot without revealing the actors’ faces, became the last time Salman and Aishwarya ever shared screen space.
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After their highly publicised split post Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Salman and Aishwarya’s relationship had been surrounded by controversies, including allegations of harassment and professional sabotage. The infamous fallout reportedly even led to Aishwarya being replaced by Rani Mukerji in Chalte Chalte, following an on-set incident involving Salman.
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