Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for these two blockbusters that earned over Rs 900 crore, she was replaced by...

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), and Gujaarish (2010). The former Miss World was also the first choice for the National Award-winning filmmaker in the two blockbusters - Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018), and she was replaced by Deepika Padukone in both the films.

Bhansali had announced Bajirao Mastani in 2003 with Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in the titular roles but the project was shelved after their breakup. Also, the director wanted the actress to play Queen Padmavati and Shah Rukh Khan to play Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat, but Khan had declined as he didn't wish to glorify a murderer like Khilji.

The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actress revealed the same in an interview to SpotboyE in 2018, when she said, "Sanjay didn’t get the Bajirao for me. He wanted me to do Padmaavat, but could not get the Khilji for me, at the casting time. So, that’s how it didn’t happen. At the end of the day, you need to see the casting. If the casting is not happening, then sometimes, it doesn’t come together. The intention is always there to work together, but it didn’t happen."

While Bajirao Mastani grossed Rs 360 crore worldwide, Padmaavat collected Rs 585 crore gross at the global box office. Both the epic historicals collectively earned Rs 945 crore gross globally. Apart from Deepika, Ranveer Singh was the common factor in both the films. While the 2015 release also starred Priyanka Chopra, the 2018 film had Shahid Kapoor as the second male lead.

The two films also collectively won 10 National Film Awards. Bajirao Mastani won awards for Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Choreogaphy, Best Sound Design, and Best Re-recording of the Final Mixed Track. Padmaavat won awards for Best Music Direction, Best Male Playback Singer, and Best Choreography.