Aamir Khan, Twinkle Khanna, and Faisal Khan starrer Mela is celebrating 25 years of its release. The film was released on January 7, 2000. Reminiscing old memories about the film, director Dharmesh Darshan recalled how Aishwarya Rai was the initial choice for the film, and he also wanted to cast her in Raja Hindustani.

While speaking with Bollywood Hungama, Dharmesh Darshan remembered Aishwarya Rai being the first choice for Mela. “She was also my first choice for the role of Memsaab in Raja Hindustani. My heart was on her. But she urgently had to go for Miss World. I didn’t want to take any chances as I wanted an actress who could devote her full time to the film and Bollywood. It was her sheer grace that she didn’t hold it in her heart,” he said.

He further added that it was the reason that Aishwarya agreed to do the cameo in Mela for him opposite Faisal Khan and not Aamir Khan. He heaped praise on the actress for agreeing to do it and driving a couple of hours to shoot that scene, considering she had worked with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan.

Upon being asked how internet users have opined that Aish should have more screen time in the film. In response to this, the veteran filmmaker smiled and admitted women telling him, “‘Kya sir; aapne Aishwarya ko cameo diya aur Twinkle Khanna ko itna bada role de diya (What sir, you gave a cameo to Aishwarya and such a big role to Twinkle Khanna)’!”

During the conversation, Darshan also recalled that the song, Chori Chori Hum Gori Se, played during Aish’s scene, was purchased by Hollywood for The Guru. He also shared that his songs, Pardesi Pardesi and Pucho Zara Pucho from Raja Hindustani, were a part of the soundtrack of V For Vendetta and played in the background in Kate Winslet-starrer Holy Smoke, respectively.