1. – Preity Zinta, Sangharsh, India, 1999. Wise enough to flee this silly Bollywood re-tread of Silence of the Lambs, 1991, to pretty Preity and Akshay Kumar as Mumbai versions of Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter.
2. – Urmila Matondkar, Dillagi, India, 1999. A rich brother arranges the marriage of his brother – only to fall for the bride…. who went from Karisma to Urmila.
3. – Tabu, Herra Pherio, India, 2000. OK, it wasn’t a substantial role, as Karisma complained, but what should have been her main scene got one of the biggest laughs in a very funny movie.
4. – Twinkle Khanna, Mela, India, 2000. Kareena Kapoor’s elder sister – nicknamed Lolo – was dropped. She could not have been worse than Twinkle who… just… didn’t.
5. – Shamita Shetty, Mohabbatein, India, 2000. The fourth generation actor of the Punjabi Kapoor dynasty – grand-daughter of the legendary Raj Kapoor – simply refused Bollywood auteur Aditya Chopra’s request to play Ishika.
6. – Preity Zinta, Yeh Raaster Hain Pyaar Ke, India, 2001. Very wise to pass on this quite terrible movie about two con artists. The film proved the bigger con Even Zinta was devoid of her famous vivacity.
7. – Aishwarya Rai, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, India, 2002. Even all important “special appearance” roles are fought over, tooth and false-nails, in Bollywood – and so Ash beat Lolo to the role of Suman.
8. – Shilpa Shetty, Badhaai Ho Bahaai, India, 2002. Lolo simply changed her mind.
9. – Urmila Matondkar, Deewangee, India, 2002. The beauty and the lawyer changed between planning and production of the Bollywoodised Primal Fear, 1996.
10 – Aishwarya Rai Baschchan, Bride & Prejudice, 2003. First to be asked for Lalita Bakshi – ie Lizzy Bennett – as Bollywood collided with Jane Austen.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 10