MUMBAI: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan once revealed that she declined Farah Khan’s 2014 film Happy New Year because the project would have paired her with Shah Rukh Khan while her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, was also part of the cast.
In a resurfaced 2018 interview with Rajeev Masand, Aishwarya discussed the offer, which came around the period when she was preparing to return to films after taking a maternity break.
The actress said she found the project appealing individually but felt the casting arrangement could create an unusual dynamic for audiences.
Aishwarya Says Casting Dynamic Influenced Decision
Aishwarya explained that although she liked the film and particularly mentioned the song “Manwa Lage,” she believed appearing opposite Shah Rukh while Abhishek played another character could lead to unnecessary discussion.
She said walking away from the project was difficult professionally. However, she ultimately made the decision after considering the situation from the perspective of her marriage.
Farah Khan eventually directed Happy New Year with Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the leading roles, while Abhishek remained part of the ensemble cast. The heist comedy became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2014.
Actress Returned to Cinema With Jazbaa in 2015
Meanwhile, Aishwarya returned to the big screen with Jazbaa in 2015 after remaining away from films for several years following the birth of her daughter.
Aishwarya and Abhishek married on April 20, 2007, while their daughter Aaradhya was born in November 2011.
Furthermore, Aishwarya later continued appearing in selected projects. Her most recent film appearance came in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan II in 2023.
The resurfaced interview has once again drawn attention to the professional considerations behind one of her notable rejected film offers.
