Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s pregnancy was not without a bit of controversy. Just a day after filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar expressed his frustration over being left out of the loop while planning ‘Heroine‘ with Aishwarya.
However, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan also defended her. In an old interview with DNA, Amitabh didn’t hold back at claims that Aishwarya’s decision to pull out of the film had cost the production house a whopping Rs 18 crore.
Amitabh Bachchan had clarified that the reports regarding her withdrawal from ‘Heroine’ were misleading.He emphasized that every actor has the right to marry and start a family, stating that it was known Aishwarya was married when she signed the film.
The senior actor questioned whether it was reasonable to expect actors to refrain from marriage or having children while working on a project, asserting that such stipulations should not be part of any contract.
In 2011, director Madhur Bhandarkar was preparing to collaborate with the stunning Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on his ambitious film Heroine. Just as the production was about to kick off, news surfaced that Aishwarya was four months pregnant.
Madhur expressed his frustration, stating he was completely unaware of her pregnancy until it was reported by the tabloids. He suggested that had Aishwarya informed him in advance, they could have adjusted the shooting schedule to accommodate her situation. Instead, her exit from the project resulted in chaos and, reportedly, financial losses for the production house.
After Aishwarya’s pregnancy announcement, the role was ultimately taken over by Kareena Kapoor Khan. Kareena’s performance as Mahi was pivotal in portraying the glamorous yet unforgiving realities of the Bollywood industry.
For the unversed, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan married Abhishek Bachchan on April 20, 2007, at the Bachchan family’s residence, Prateeksha, in Mumbai. The couple welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, on November 16, 2011.
