Original cast of "Veer Zaara" was Shah Rukh, Aishwarya & Nadia Jamil

Nadia Jamil declined a role opposite SRK in Veer Zaara

She had to choose parenthood over her career

SAMAA | Web desk - Posted: Jun 26, 2019 | Last Updated: 2 years ago

After Pakistani actor Danish Taimoor, actor Nadia Jamil has revealed that she was offered Rani Mukerji’s role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Veer Zaara but she chose parenthood over her career.

During her recent appearance on Rewind with Samina Peerzada, Jamil shared stories from her career and said that she turned down a role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the late Yash Chopra’s 2004 mega-hit Veer Zaara.

Jamil said on the show that a turning point in her career was when she met Chopra for talks for Veer Zara.

“The turning point in my career was when I met Yash Chopra as Veer Zaara was about to happen. My Ammi was telling me she’d come with me or take care of my children, my son was two months old then, but I knew that if I moved in this direction now it would become an addiction which I would be unable to leave,” said Jamil.

She added that in order to be the mother she always wanted to be for her kid, she had to turn down the role.

“It would shape the kind of mother I would become. I had to choose between being a mom or an actress but there isn’t even a comparison between the two,” said Jamil.

The film was originally expected to star Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Jamil as the three leads but Preity Zinta and Mukerji stepped in when the other two women opted out.

You can watch the full interview here.

Earlier, Danish Taimoor revealed that he was offered the lead role in the star-studded 2018 Bollywood movie Veere Di Wedding. He shared that the dates were even finalized but then the tensions between India and Pakistan escalated.

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https://www.samaa.tv/entertainment/2019/06/nadia-jamil-declined-a-role-opposite-srk-in-veer-zaara/

The film was originally expected to star Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Jamil as the three leads but Preity Zinta and Mukerji stepped in when the other two women opted out.

Correction: Aish didn't opt out.

I can't imagine anyone else taking Preity's place. She had that bubbly personality going on, so she was perfect for the part.

Originally posted by: --Ariana--

I can't imagine anyone else taking Preity's place. She had that bubbly personality going on, so she was perfect for the part.

Interesting that you say that. I loved Preity and her effervescent persona in every film- even the bad ones but Veer Zaara is the only film I thought she was miscast in.

Ash would have been great- Rani too would have been excellent- somehow I cant imagine Preity pining away for someone her whole life (I kind of mean that as a compliment to her strong persona!)

Maybe Preity and Rani should've switched roles.

NJ is a good actress but I doubt this... she isn't and wasn't ever popular in Pakistan!

Originally posted by: --Ariana--

I can't imagine anyone else taking Preity's place. She had that bubbly personality going on, so she was perfect for the part.

The article said she was to do Rani's role

Also, she never said that SHE WAS OFFERED the role

They just had a chat!

Originally posted by: VaniSpeaks

The film was originally expected to star Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Jamil as the three leads but Preity Zinta and Mukerji stepped in when the other two women opted out.

Correction: Aish didn't opt out.

I still remember we used to read Filmfare magazine in Bangladesh. Ash was asked about this film just after Devdas. She said she will do whatever Yashji offers her because it is for Yash Chopra she is in film industry. They were supposed to do a film called Maine To Mohabbat Karli which was shelved and Dil Toh Pagal Hai was made.

Ash would have looked ethereal as Zara

It was so clear that Zaara was written for Aishwarya, it was basically Paro but without much of a voice or say. Anyways, the movie bored me to death and too far fetched and old school goody-ish to be taken seriously by me. It felt like a soap opera tbh

The movie sucked especially since it was really hard to buy that the love between srk and preity was so epic and grand