1. – Karisma Kapoor, Dil To Pagal Hai, India, 1997. Bollywood director Yash Chopra had a hard time finding his Nisha… Kajol, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty and Raveena Tandon all turned him down. What did they know? Karisma won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.
2. – Shamita Shetty, Mohabbatein, India, 2000. The fourth generation actress from Mumbai refused to play Ishika.
3. – Aishwarya Rai, Josh, India, 2002. Romeo and Juliet in Goa. And Kajol didn’t fancy Juliet – er, Shirley. And so another step up for the fast rising and always incandescent Miss World 1994. This was Ash’s 11th film in three years.
4. – Karisma Kapoor, Shakthi: The Power, India, 2002. Bollywood auteur Krishna Vamshi’s first choice for Nandinij was not free – or not interested in the Bollywood rehash of Sally Field in Not Without My Daughter, 1991.
5. – Rani Mukherjee, Chalte Chalte, India, 2003. Refused to be Priya after Aishwarya Rai quit. Rani then changed her tune about the role being too close to her previous film, Saathiya, 2002.
6. – Rani Mukherjee, Hum Tum, India, 2004. Director Aditya Chopra was first to announce a When Harry Met Sally…, Bollywopd style, matching Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, Instead, Kunal Kohli made the re-hash with Saif Ali Khan and Rani (also selected for Chopra’s project) and Chopra kept his leads for a more original Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, 2008.
7. – Esha Deol, Kaal, India, 2005. Time for Kajol’s comeback – after taking time out for her daughter, Nysa. But too many offers, projects and cnbracts meant this wasn’t the one. Despite the leading man being her husband, Ajay Devgan. Kajol’s comeback was delayed until Fanaa, 2006.
8. – Rani Mukherjee, Baabul, India, 2006. Mumbai director Ravi Chopra could not persuade her – nor Aishwarya Rai – to play Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter-in-law. (Which Ash became in reality the following year).
9. – Rani Mukherjee, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, India, 2006. Kajol defected from India’s most expensive Hindi film ($15m) owing to another film, Fanaa. (So did her husband and frequent co-star, Ajay Devgan). Rani took over and her original role went to Preity Zinta – and Kajol supplied an uncredited turn as Piano Dancer.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Kajol Mukherjee DevganCasting Calls: 8