Lara Dutta reveals being offered Bipasha Basu's role, shares why she chose to play Kajal as No Entry turns 20

Today, August 26, 2025, marks a major milestone - 20 years since the release of Anees Bazmee's comedy film 'No Entry', starring an ensemble cast including Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Esha Deol, and Celina Jaitly. To celebrate this occasion, Lara Dutta took to social media, sharing nostalgic memories from the film's shoot. In her heartfelt post, she revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbit: she was initially offered both the roles of Kajal and the character played by Bipasha Basu. However, Lara chose to play Kajal, eager to take on a new challenge and explore a character type she hadn't portrayed before.

Sharing the poster of No Entry, Lara Dutta wrote, “20 years of NO ENTRY!!! Crazy how fast time flies!! This film will always remain one of my absolute favourites forever!!! My first foray into comedy….. I was offered both the role I played and the role that was eventually played by Bipasha….. I remember telling @aneesbazmee that the character of Kajal was so unlike anything I’ve ever encountered and I would have to really challenge myself to play a highly suspicious, loud, punjabi wife….. surprisingly I owned every bit of the character and had an absolute blast portraying her!!! Having @anilskapoor by my side, elevating our performance and every scene, was an absolute treat for a relative newcomer."

She then opened up about working with Salman Khan, and wrote, “I hadn’t yet done PARTNER with @beingsalmankhan so having him on set was quite intimidating….. it was like the superstar had arrived ! But he was chilled out and fun and charming as hell! @fardeenfkhan was a revelation when it came to comedy and it was amazing to see how effortless it was for him."

Dutta also highlighted the strong bond she formed with co-stars Celina Jaitly and Esha Deol, describing their friendship as a unique and cherished relationship within the film industry. For Bipasha, she wrote, “@bipashabasu was stunning and combined sex appeal and comic timing perfectly."

Dutta reminisced about the shoot, recalling how she went directly from filming "Khakee's" song "Aisa Jaadu Daala Re" to the airport for "No Entry's" first South Africa schedule. She expressed her excitement about working with Anees Bazmee, calling him a "dream" director. She added, "South Africa, Mauritius, Thailand, Mumbai…… NO ENTRY was a whirlwind of mad fun, incredible co stars a wonderful producer @boney.kapoor and till today remains one of the most iconic comedy films of our time." In "No Entry," Lara Dutta portrayed Kajal Singhania, Anil Kapoor's wife.