Not Katrina Kaif, but this superstar was originally offered Namastey London opposite Akshay Kumar, she rejected film because...

In 2007, Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif made the audience laugh out loud with their blockbuster comedy Namastey London. Vipul Amrutlal Shah's directorial and production was among the top grossers of that year. The iconic rom-com is all set to return in cinemas on March 11, and today we will share an interesting fact about the movie. 

Namastey London revolves around fun-loving guy Arjun Singh (Akshay) who tries to woo his love, Jasleen aka Jazz (Katrina) after getting married in London. The film became a grand success due to many factors, including popular music, impressive dialogues, and the crackling chemistry of the leads. However, did you know that  Katrina wasn't the choice of the makers for Jazz?

The actress who was the original choice for Namastey London was...

Aishwarya Rai, the actress who has earlier worked with Akshay Kumar in Khakee, was supposed to reunite with Akki in Namastey London. However, Rai rejected the film, and she also admitted rejecting Namastry London because she had her reasons. In an old video interview, Aishwarya herself revealed why she was dropped from the film. While promoting Action Replayy, actress said, "Akshay came to me with Namastey London and a series of other films. I was unable to do, but he kept saying, 'bahut maza ka kaam hai, karna chaiye.' I told him that I know, but what should I do." Akshay teased Rai, for going international, and being busy with Hollywood projects. 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said she was offered #NamasteyLondon first..

What is your opinion ? According to me Katrina Kaif was perfect for that role..#AkshayKumar #KatrinaKaif pic.twitter.com/spqzVd17Li

— Akshay Kamble (@AkshayK66719595) March 5, 2025

For the unversed, Namastey London was a box office success, earning over Rs 38 crores in India over a Rs 31 crore budget. The film also inspired a sequel, Namastey England, but with different actors, Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. Unfortunately, Namastey England was a major box office flop, earning less than Rs 10 crore in its lifetime. The duo of Namastey London was also seen in Welcome, Singh is Kinng, and Blue.