Shilpa Shirodkar revealed how she missed an opportunity to star in the iconic Chaiyya Chaiyya song from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se..
IMAGE: Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora in Dil Se..
Key Points
- Shilpa Shirodkar was initially approached for the iconic Chaiyya Chaiyya song from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se..
- Choreographer Farah Khan confirmed that Shilpa’s weight was a factor in her being dropped from the song, citing the demanding sequence on a moving train.
- Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty were also approached for the song before Malaika Arora was eventually cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
Did you know Shilpa Shirodkar was considered for Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic song Chaiyya Chaiyya?
The actress revealed in a podcast that she was approached for the song from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.., but eventually missed out on the opportunity.
Shilpa says she does not regret missing the song as much as she regrets not getting the chance to work with Mani Ratnam.
‘I didn’t feel sad about missing the song Chaiyya Chaiyya as much as I felt bad not getting a chance to work with Mani Ratnam,’ Shilpa said.
‘This is one of my wishes that is yet to be fulfilled. But God opened more doors for me even though I missed that song,’ she said.
The actress recalled that her weight was discussed at the time. ‘Some people at that point of time thought that I was too fat,’ she said.
Farah Khan Confirms the Reason
Choreographer Farah Khan, who choreographed the song Chaiyya Chaiyya, confirmed Shilpa’s story on why she was dropped from the song.
In a report published in The Times of India newspaper, Farah said, ‘I wondered how Shilpa would manage the demanding sequence, which was filmed on top of a moving train, given her weight at the time.’
Farah had also approached Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty for the song, but both declined.
Malaika Arora was eventually cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan, and Chaiyya Chaiyya went on to become one of the most iconic songs of the 1990s.
Shilpa also missed an opportunity to work with Shah Rukh Khan at the time.
SRK and Shilpa eventually shared screen space in M F Husain’s Gaja Gamini.
Chaiyya Chaiyya became an instant hit, with A R Rahman’s music with Gulzar’s lyrics, vocals by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi and Farah Khan’s choreography.
Shilpa Shirodkar’s Career
IMAGE: Shilpa Shirodkar in Kishen Kanhaiya.
Shilpa is known for hit films such as Hum, Kishen Kanhaiya and Bewafa Sanam of 1990s.
She left Mumbai after marriage with banker Aparesh Ranjiti in 2000 and settled in New Zealand.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
