- Subhash Ghai initially doubted casting Aishwarya Rai as Mansi in Taal due to her modeling background
- Choreographer Saroj Khan recommended Aishwarya Rai for her exceptional dancing skills
- Ghai changed his mind after watching Aishwarya Rai in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar
Subhash Ghai recently spoke about casting Aishwarya Rai in his 1999 musical romantic drama Taal.
What's Happening
The filmmaker revealed that he initially had doubts about whether she was the right choice to play Mansi, a simple small-town girl, because he associated her with the world of modelling and beauty pageants.
In a recent conversation with Times Now, Ghai recalled seeking late choreographer Saroj Khan's opinion while looking for an actress who could meet the dance demands of the film. He asked her who, apart from Madhuri Dixit, would be best suited for the role.
"Saroj Khan recommended her name. I asked her that there are 3-4 heroines currently, and who dances the best. She took Aish's name. I was shocked and told her that Aish belongs to the cosmetic world," he shared.
For the unversed, Saroj Khan was associated with Taal as the choreographer of the popular song Ramta Jogi.
Ghai added, "I saw 1-2 films of her so I felt that she was more on the modelling and cosmetic side. A friend of mine asked me to watch her Mani Ratnam film."
Subhash Ghai's Opinion Changed After Watching Iruvar
Subhash Ghai said that his opinion changed after he watched Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar. Ghai recalled that he immediately felt Aishwarya was suited to the character he had envisioned for Taal.
He continued, "Mani Ratnam kept a trial for me and when I saw the Tamil movie Iruvar, I knew that she was the girl. I told her that you won't have makeup at all in the beginning and then it would increase slowly, and you would eventually become a diva."
Subhash Ghai Heaps Praises On Aishwarya's Dedication To Taal
Ghai also spoke about the importance of an actor trusting the director and following the filmmaker's vision. While discussing Aishwarya's work on Taal, he said that she, along with Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna, fully committed to the film.
He said, "When actor surrenders to the director, then things happen. They should surrender. Amitabh Bachchan always used to tell me that he sees a filmmaker's passion, listen to two lines of the film's story and says yes, because it's that director's film. The problem with many stars is that they try to become a creative partner. Aishwarya Rai, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, all three of them surrendered. She was very hard working and fully committed."
Background
Released in 1999, Taal starred Aishwarya Rai as Mansi alongside Akshaye Khanna as Manav Mehta and Anil Kapoor as Vikrant Kapoor. The cast also included Amrish Puri and Alok Nath.
Directed and produced by Subhash Ghai, the film featured music by AR Rahman.