‘Aishwarya Rai is very pretty, but she’s someone I want to make my sister’: Rahul Rawail explains why actor’s Hindi debut flopped

Veteran filmmaker Rahul Rawail, talked about the actors he introduced to Bollywood including Kajol and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The filmmaker talked in detail about these stars and their mistakes.

Rahul Rawail reveals what went wrong with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Bollywood debut. (Photo: IMDb)

Rahul Rawail, a veteran filmmaker, who is popularly known for working with newcomers and introducing several stars like Kajol and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Bollywood, recently recalled why he chose these actresses. The veteran filmmaker also shared his experience of working with these actors and what went wrong with Aishwarya’s debut film. Rahul also revealed how Bobby Deol’s laidback attitude stopped bringing him work, keeping him jobless for years.

In an interview with Friday Talkies, the veteran filmmaker recalled casting Kajol for Bekhudi and then Aishwarya for her Bollywood debut Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya. He said, “When I made Bekhudi then I took Kajol, in case of Aishwarya, let me be very honest, one of the many factors why we took Aishwarya was because of her Miss World title, and also she was very pretty. So that’s how the casting happened.” Given the fact, both were newcomers and this were their debut, Rahul said, “I would still love to work with newcomers.”

Talking about his first-time actress Kajol becoming a star, the Arjun filmmaker said, “I would not say that I knew Kajol would be a star. I knew one thing that Kajol is a very good actress. But, she has become a star and she deserves what she has got. And she has not forgotten her early days.”

During the same interview, Rahul recalled a conversation he had with a fan in London, post the release of Aishwarya’s debut film.

He said, “As far as Aishwarya goes, she is very pretty but, I think what went wrong there is… I was shooting in London when the film had released. So there were a few Indians who had to come to watch the shooting. There, a boy told me, I just returned from your film–Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya. I asked him, ‘how was the film?’. He was like,

‘Aishwarya Rai is very good and pretty, but she is a kind of girl, I would like to make my sister. That got me thinking, Anyway, he was right.”

The film, which was soon regarded as a box office flop, also starred Bobby Deol in the lead role. Talking about the Animal star, Rahul said, “Bobby is remarkable. But, at that time, he was a very laidback person. Just after two hours of shoot, he would be like, ‘I am tired.’ That way he was very laid back. And his interest in all that was very less. But, I kept saying him he is a very good actor and will do very well, ‘pay attention’, and he would be like, ‘no, I am okay’, but finally he didn’t get any work. Then I don’t know what changed him around and I speak to him regularly and he is absolutely fantastic.”

While Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya was a massive flop, Kajol gained immense praise for her role in the 1992 film Bekhudi.