How Aishwarya-Salman’s Padmaavat went to Deepika-Ranveer. On Tuesday Trivia

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s Padmaavat turns 4 today, January 25. Tuesday Trivia tells you how the couple landed the roles that director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had initially planned for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s passion project, Padmaavat, was released on January 25, 2018. The making of the film was as full of drama as the film, if not more. From the casting controversy to Karni Sena calling for a ban and making death threats, Padmavati became Padmaavat and gave us a visual extravaganza we only get to see in Bhansali films. In this week’s Tuesday Trivia, we tell you how Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh bagged the roles which were originally intended for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan.

Padmaavat belonged to Ranveer Singh’s Alauddin Khilji. As the Muslim invader, the actor outperformed himself. It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of this mad king, even when the original choice for Khilji was superstar Salman Khan. Deepika Padukone was beautiful and magnificent as Rani Padmavati. But, even she wasn’t the first choice for the role. Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play Mallika-e-Chittor.

Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's iconic film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999. It was the filmmaker’s dream to cast them in another film. Hence, he approached the two for Bajirao Mastani too. But, following their ugly break-up, Salman and Aishwarya refused to share screen space, which resulted in the period drama getting delayed for years and years. Finally, the director made the film with Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, whose dynamic chemistry created magic on screen.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali once again approached Salman and Aishwarya for yet another one of his grand films, then titled Padmavati. He was almost successful in making the project happen with the duo. But, Aishwarya had a mandate that she would come on board only if Salman signed the role of Alauddin Khilji. This would mean that they won’t have any scenes together. However, the actor wasn’t up for this condition as he wanted to be paired opposite Aishwarya.

Confirming this, Aishwarya had said, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali 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. We both loved working with each other, so let's see, whenever it is meant to be."

Padmaavat finally came to life on screen with Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. Shahid Kapoor played the Rajput ruler, Maharawal Ratan Singh, while Deepika played his unbelievably gorgeous wife, Rani Padmavati. Ranveer Singh is the junooni ruler Alauddin Khilji, who is besotted by the ‘nayaab cheez’ Padmavati and camps outside Chittorgarh fort to make her his.

Between many dialogues of the Rajputana shaan and the wrath of Khilji, Padmavati decides to make the sacrifice of Jauhar - self-immolation rather than be captured by Khilji. In Padmaavat, from the sets to the costumes everything is grand and a complete visual spectacle.