Akshaye Khanna fired Vidya Balan after she refused to do a film opposite him: ‘I was so scared, asked John Abraham to save me’

Vidya Balan, who made a powerful Bollywood debut with Parineeta in 2005, has carved a niche for herself as one of the most respected and versatile actresses in Indian cinema. With a string of memorable performances in films like Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Paa, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, Kahaani, and The Dirty Picture, she’s built a legacy defined by bold choices and deeply layered characters. But behind her confident screen presence is a journey filled with self-doubt, tough decisions, and plenty of learning–especially when it came to turning down films early in her career.

In a recent conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Vidya Balan opened up about one such moment from her early days, when she had to refuse a film opposite Akshaye Khanna—and didn’t quite know how to handle it. “I find it much easier to say no today than I did 20 years ago. I was so scared. I remember there was this film offered to me opposite Akshaye Khanna, and for some reason, I didn’t connect with the script. But I couldn’t pick up the phone and tell him that myself. I asked my manager to convey it to the director instead,” she said.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to do the film?’

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The story didn’t end there. Vidya Balan later ran into Akshaye Khanna on the sets of Salaam-E-Ishq, and he playfully confronted her. “He fired me!” she recalled with a laugh. “He said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to do the film?’ I was so embarrassed. I went up to John Abraham and said, ‘Can you please save me?’ I just didn’t want any confrontation or to hurt anyone’s feelings. But later, I realised he was just pulling my leg.”

Vidya Balan was most recently seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, marking her much-anticipated return to the franchise after missing out on the 2022 sequel.