Mumbai: Actress Shilpa Shirodkar made a surprising revelation on Bigg Boss 18, sharing that she was originally approached by choreographer Farah Khan for the iconic song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the movie Dil Se. However, Shilpa claimed she was rejected after being told she needed to lose weight for the role.


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This anecdote was shared by Shilpa after Farah Khan appeared the weekend ka vaar to take the class of the contestants in the house.  Speaking to Karan Veer Mehra, Shilpa recalled her conversation with Farah “She (Farah) approached me for Chaiyya Chaiyya. She asked me to lose weight for the song. About a week or 10 days later, she told me, ‘You are too fat for the song.’”


After Shilpa’s rejection, the role ultimately went to Malaika Arora, who starred in the iconic sequence alongside Shah Rukh Khan on top of a moving train. The song, choreographed by Farah and directed by Mani Ratnam, became a landmark moment in Bollywood history.


When Karan Veer teased Shilpa, saying, “Tu chadti toh train rukh jaati kya? (Would the train have stopped if you were on it?)”, Shilpa laughed off the remark, emphasizing that only Farah Khan and Mani Ratnam could truly explain the decision.


Shilpa’s candid revelation sparked a conversation about the pressures of maintaining a certain body image in the entertainment industry. While she took the rejection in stride, it shed light on the harsh realities faced by actors, particularly regarding physical appearance. 


Malaika Arora’s performance in Chaiyya Chaiyya went on to define her career and today one cannot imagine anyone but her in the song.