Raveena Tandon on rejecting Rani Mukerji’s role in KKHH, refusing Chaiyya Chaiyya with Shah Rukh Khan: ‘Couldn’t play second lead’

She further added, “It was very necessary for me to against start of even if I have five scenes and five songs, but as a solo heroine. I had to restart my career like that, which was very difficult, but I was like you have to do this. It worked for Rani Mukerji because she was young and fresh face, but for me, it was not trying to start off from where I left off, that was a really difficult decision for me.”

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Raveena also revealed that she refused to star in the iconic song “Chaiyya Chaiyya” from Mani Ratnam’s 1998 film Dil Se as she did not want to be branded an ‘item girl’. She said, “Chaiyya Chaiyya came, and I was dying to do it, but I didn’t want to be branded ‘item girl’. So I remember telling Mani Ratnam Ji that I am dying to do a film with you, I want to be in every film of yours, but unfortunately I can’t do this song. These are the regrets that you do have, but then you can’t do everything in life.”

The song ultimately featured Malaika Arora alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Chaiyya Chaiyya went on to become a massive sensation, turning Malaika into an overnight star and cementing her status as one of Bollywood’s most iconic dancers.