‘Aishwarya was cosmetic’: Subhash Ghai recalls casting her in Taal
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai has revealed how late choreographer Saroj Khan helped him discover Aishwarya Rai for the lead role in his 1999 musical hit Taal , while admitting he initially doubted whether she could play the character. Speaking to Times Now in a recent interview, Ghai recalled asking Saroj Khan who, apart from Madhuri Dixit, could handle the demanding dance requirements of the role of…
Subhash Ghai, the filmmaker behind the 1999 musical hit Taal, has shared how late choreographer Saroj Khan played a crucial role in discovering Aishwarya Rai for the lead role of Mansi. Ghai revealed in a recent interview with Times Now that he initially doubted Aishwarya's ability to handle the demanding dance requirements of the role, as she had recently emerged from the beauty-pageant world following her victory in the Miss World title in 1994.
He had previously associated her with modelling and beauty contests rather than the grounded character he envisioned for Taal. However, Ghai's perspective changed after he watched Mani Ratnam’s 1997 Tamil film Iruvar, in which Aishwarya made her acting debut. A friend encouraged Ghai to watch the film, leading him to arrange a trial for Aishwarya.
When he saw her in Iruvar, Ghai knew she was the girl he was looking for. To help Aishwarya shed her glamorous image, Ghai insisted she appear without makeup during the opening portion of Taal. Aishwarya Rai, who starred alongside Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna with music by AR Rahman, went on to become a global sensation following the film's release 27 years ago.
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