Aishwarya Rai was first choice for Mela and Raja Hindustani, says director Dharmesh Darshan: ‘People ask why I had Twinkle Khanna in lead and …’

The film Mela directed by Dharmesh Darshan, was released 25 years ago with Aamir Khan, Twinkle Khanna, and Faisal Khan in the lead roles.

Mela’s director Dharmesh Darshan Aishwarya cameo Twinkle Khanna

Mela director Dharmesh Darshan shared the reason why Aishwarya Rai Bachchan agreed to do the cameo in Mela for him.

Did you know Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was the original choice for Mela and not Twinkle Khanna? The film starring Twinkle, Faisal Khan and Aamir Khan celebrated its 25 years of release recently. The film was much talked about and despite lots of anticipation, it was a failure at the box office. The film, which released on January 7, 2000, had Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as its the original choice for the lead heroine. Mela’s director Dharmesh Darshan, on the film’s 25th anniversary, shared in an interview about the same.

Darshan was talking to Bollywood Hungama when he was asked whether Aishwarya was indeed the original choice. He shared, “She was. She was also my first choice for the role of Memsaab in Raja Hindustani (1996). 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.”

Dharmesh Darshan added in his interview that this was the reason that she agreed to do the cameo in Mela for him, even though she is paired opposite Faisal Khan and not Aamir. He added, “A heroine of her level had worked with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan; you name it. Yet, she agreed and drove a couple of hours to shoot that scene.”

The director added said he is often asked why he had Aishwarya in a cameo in the film while Twinkle was in the lead, “I’ve met ladies who have told me, ‘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 gave such a big role to Twinkle Khanna!’)”

aishwarya in mela Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was paired opposite Faisal Khan in the film Mela.Darshan also spoke about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s cameo in the film and the song ‘Chori Chori Hum Gori Se’, which was played during her scene.

“This track was purchased by Hollywood for The Guru (2002). In fact, I am the only Bollywood director whose 3 songs were purchased by Hollywood makers and shot by them. ‘Pardesi Pardesi’ and ‘Pucho Zara Pucho’ from Raja Hindustani were a part of the soundtrack of V For Vendetta (2005) and played in the background in Kate Winslet-starrer Holy Smoke (1999) respectively,” added the director.

Over the years, Twinkle Khanna has often joked about Mela and specifically her performance in the film. Mela was one of the last on-screen works of Twinkle and she eventually quit movies in 2001 with the film Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega.