When Sonam Kapoor was shortlisted for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi but Anushka Sharma bagged the role: ‘Aditya Chopra told me…’

Sonam Kapoor tried to convince Aditya Chopra to cast her in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opposite Shah Rukh Khan. But he had another girl in mind for the role.

Sonam Kapoor and Anushka Sharma were shortlisted for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. (Photo: Sonam Kapoor/Instagram, Express Archives)

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The 2008 film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was headlined by Shah Rukh Khan and was the debut film of Anushka Sharma. The film became a massive hit and put Anushka on the map. She then bagged several Bollywood films and became one of the most sought-after actors from her generation. But, had Anushka’s performance during the last round of auditions not convinced the film’s director Aditya Chopra, the role of Taani would have gone to Sonam Kapoor.

Sonam revealed during the promotions of her 2014 film Bewakoofiyaan how she was called to audition for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi by Band Baaja Baraat director Maneesh Sharma. “After I was signed for Delhi 6, there was another film which was happening at Yash Raj (Films). I got a call from Maneesh Sharma. He said, ‘Come and audition for this role,'” Sonam shared with DNA, revealing that at that time, her debut film Saawariya had released and she had already started shooting for Delhi 6.

“So, I told him, I am coming back to Bombay from Jaipur on this and this day, then I will come and audition,” recalled Sonam. She revealed how on the day of the final audition Aditya Chopra spoke to her and told her, “We have one new girl and then we have you, if this new girl‘s audition is very good, then we will take her because we want a new girl, otherwise we will take you.” Sonam tried to convince Chopra by telling him that she too is a new girl. But, by then, the filmmaker had come to know that she is playing a Delhi girl in Delhi 6 as well.

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A still from Rab Ne Bana Doi Jodi.

“Till the last moment, before they started shooting, Anushka and I were shortlisted for the film. And, finally, Anushka got the role,” the Saawariya actor concluded.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi gave wings not just to Anushka’s career, but also revived Aditya Chopra’s YRF productions. In the latest Netflix documentary The Romantics, Aditya Chopra said that the idea of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was born when he thought his run as a producer is over as none of the YRF movies were working at the box office.

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“I realised that I needed to give the company a big successful film, and I would have to do it myself,” Chopra shared in one of the episodes of The Romantics. The director said that he went away to London to write and came up with a story, focusing on a rather unhappy couple, and how the husband creates an alternate persona to win her over, played by the same actor. He recalled, “Everyone’s problem was that how will she not recognise him? The film would fail in its premise.” But when Aditya called SRK, he instantly agreed to star in the film.

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