Yash Chopra's romantic drama, Chandni (1989) was a major commercial and critical success, establishing the late Sridevi as a bonafide superstar. Chandni became a breakthrough film for Sridevi, but it might surprise you that she wasn't the first choice for the title role. According to media reports, a legendary actress was offered the role first before Sridevi.
Sridevi was not first choice for Chandni
The late actress Sridevi mesmerized everyone with her performance as Chandni Mathur in Chandni. But not many people know that legendary actress Rekha was the first choice for the film.
Interstingly, Rekha played the character of Chandni in Yash Chopra's Silsila. When Chandni was in the pre-production stage, he narrated the script to Rekha. Even though the evergreen diva liked it, she refused to act in it.
According to media reports, Rekha revealed that she suggested Yash Chopra to go ahead with a younger lead actress for Chandni. Sridevi was offered Chandni after Rekha recommended her name to the director.
More about Chandni
Apart from Sridevi, the cast of the film also includes Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor in leads with Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher, Sushma Seth, Mita Vashisht, and Manohar Singh in supporting roles. The film Chandni also won the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. It was also considered instrumental in the revival of romantic musicals in Bollywood.
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