{
  "id": 761856,
  "title": "‘I need to destroy your image’: Subhash Ghai on casting Aishwarya Rai in Taal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/i-need-to-destroy-your-image-subhash-ghai-on-casting-aishwarya-rai-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T11:49:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/subhash-ghai-talks-about-casting-aishwarya-rai-bachchan-in-taal-10831467/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Subhash Ghai's 1999 film Taal, celebrated for its music by AR Rahman, marked the rising careers of Aishwarya Rai and Akshaye Khanna, two young actors who were early in their Bollywood journey. Initially hesitant, Ghai was adamant about bringing in fresh faces for the big-budget project. Vinod Khanna, Akshaye's father, played a pivotal role in getting Akshaye on board, while a recommendation from choreographer Saroj Khan led to Aishwarya's casting.\n\nTo break Aishwarya Rai's image from the cosmetics world, Ghai insisted she appear without makeup in the opening hour of Taal. She agreed, stating, \"I will do whatever you say.\" The film, a musical romantic drama starring Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and Akshaye Khanna, became a massive commercial success in India and abroad.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Subhash Ghai cast Aishwarya Rai in 1999's Taal, aiming for fresh faces.",
    "Ghai insisted Aishwarya appear without makeup to reshape her image.",
    "Taal became a massive commercial success in India and abroad."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Subhash Ghai's deliberate decision to cast Aishwarya Rai without makeup in the opening scenes of Taal was a strategic move to shed her existing image as a cosmetics model.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}