Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to cast Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Bajirao Mastani

Sanjay Leela Bhansali wants to cast Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Bajirao Mastani

Sanjay Leela Bhansali brought together the power couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone for the blockbuster film, Bajirao Mastani. The film was an instant hit, and the cast was adored by the audience. However, the filmmaker was about to cast Bollywood’s another on-screen power couple in the film.

Bhansali originally wanted Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai as the leads for Bajirao Mastani, following their successful pairing in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Unfortunately, the project with them never happened, fueling speculation about a possible rift between Bhansali and Aishwarya.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aishwarya Rai addressed their rumored fallout on Koffee with Karan in 2004. Bhansali claimed that the misunderstandings between them fueled the feud speculations. Meanwhile, Aishwarya clarified that a magazine had published a quote falsely attributed to her, and she had helped clear up the issue with the journalist and Bhansali.

The actress later clarified that she and Bhansali had mutually decided not to collaborate on Bajirao Mastani due to creative differences. She was open to playing Mastani, but Bhansali's vision for Bajirao didn't match hers.

Meanwhile, there were media speculations that she was "walking out" of the film, leaving the filmmaker disappointed. The actress was reportedly recovering from an injury and wasn’t able to communicate with Bhansali directly at the time.

Additionally, she was hurt after Bhansali didn’t visit her in the hospital. There has been over a year-long silence between Aishwarya and Bhanshali due to misunderstandings and media speculation.

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After struggling to find the perfect pair for Bajirao Mastani, Bhanshali finally cast Ranveer and Deepika in the 2015 film. The film also stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead role.

Bajirao Mastani received major success at the box office and grossed over Rs 254 crore in India and Rs 102.2 crore overseas, totalling over Rs 356.2 crore worldwide. The film explores the romance between the Maratha general, Baji Rao I and Mastani, princess of Bundelkhand.