Touch-and go with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Karan Johar

Karan Johar had revealed on national television how Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had called back and politely said no to his directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Seventeen years and multiple offers later, Aishwarya and Karan have finally teamed up for their first project together - Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Over the years, both fancied working with each other but nothing really worked out.

When asked about it, Ash explains, “I would have said Yes to Karan all along as well. First of all, the schedules had always been the problem whenever we wanted to do a film. What was special with Ae Dil Hai Mushil was I finally had a schedule to start setting. (Laughs) It is easy for me actually to be able to immediately work it out this time because I was just planning my schedule.”

Karan and Ash have always been good friends but their bond strengthened post her marriage, she reveals. “Karan’s been a dear friend to me over the years. Especially since marriage, our bond has become even stronger. We spent a lot more time in each other’s company. We have spent a lot more evenings together and that’s special because I never used to spend my evenings with anyone from the film industry before. I was one of those few people who would be like, ‘Kaam karo aur ghar bhaago!’ It was during one such evening that he narrated the idea of ADHM to me. It is wonderful to be telling a story so beautifully and for Karan to be doing it, it’s extremely special to me,” she giggled. 

Here’s Ash explaining why, despite multiple attempts, she and Karan could not come together for a film all this while….

NO DATES!
Aishwarya was one of the first people Karan had approached for KKHH. But the actress could not allot him dates and hence the role went to Kajol. “When I started movies, I totally jumped into it and my story was never that of a conventional newcomer. It wasn’t like, Ek film karo, phir dekho oh kaise chalti hai. Phir aage ke filmein sign karo’. It was totally opposite. My story was the same from the very beginning. Right at the inception, I was already in four films together. Then, as and how my dates got set, I accommodated films. So with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai also, I was unable to do it.”
But unlike many other actors, Aishwarya had personally phoned Karan and informed him about her predicament. “Karan always teased me saying that you were really polite, unlike others. I always told him, ‘Polite ki baat nahi hai. I wanted to do it but main kar hi nahi saki because I was shooting at that time already,” she said. “If I remember, it was a mixed schedule of Jeans for the Seven Wonder song travel and Aa Ab Laut Chalein for Chintuji (Rishi Kapoor),” she added.  Not just as a friend, Ash loves Karan’s sensibilities, too. “I have always loved his understanding of cinema and when he said he will make his directorial debut with me, I happily agreed to do it, but other commitments did not allow me to do the film.”

SCRIPT CHANGE!
After KKHH, when Karan decided to direct an ensemble family entertainer in Kabhi Khushi, Kabhie Gham, Ash was the first he went to again. “He did come to me with K3G also but then, his script went in for a change. So the character did change. I know that for sure because I know what was narrated to me and what I saw on screen eventually. Of course, Kajol was fabulous. But that also went and I could not do it.”

PLAYING IT ‘SAIF’!
Karan had initially planned to rope in Aishwarya along with Abhishek and Saif for ‘Dostana’ but that also eventually fell through, thanks to Saif. “Through the years, we kept discussing subjects and we thought we will work on Dostana together. Then I got married. Saif was there in the film initially but after our marriage, he was like, ‘Abhishek and Aishwarya will be together in the film. So it won’t look right’. That’s how the vibe was becoming around the film but I was like, ‘The role is of the two guys’. Since that was the kind of discussion and feeling going around with the casting, I decided to step out of Dostana and didn’t do that as well,” she revealed. But eventually Saif too copped out. But by then, Ash had already decided to be out of ‘Dostana’. “Then, it was John and Abhishek with PC who eventually did the film. Saif himself opted out. Somewhere, things did not fall in place for both me and Karan”, she quips.