Meet actress who rejected superhit films with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Kajol, then made super flop debut, still became superstar, her name is..

Before the red carpet, before she appeared at Cannes, and before the world knew her name, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had already made a bold decision that set her apart from the rest. Aishwarya Rai, a name that resonates far beyond the boundaries of Indian cinema, was a big name even before winning the title of Miss India. She had rejected many great films even before becoming a beauty pageant winner. In the 1994 Miss India pageant, Aishwarya Rai won second place behind Sushmita Sen and was crowned Miss India World. 

Aishwarya Rai eventually made her debut opposite Bobby Deol in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). The film was underwhelming and became a mega flop at the box office. 

However, before she even participated in beauty pageants, Aishwarya Rai received 4 film offers opposite some of the biggest stars. On rejecting the offers, Aishwarya Rai once said that she "decided to participate in Miss India to step back from the film industry for a bit. If I hadn't taken part in Miss India, Raja Hindustani would have been my first film."

Apart from this, Aishwarya Rai had also turned down the opportunity to star in Shah Rukh Khan's blockbuster film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because she could not connect with the character of Tina (later played by Rani Mukerji). She was afraid of being ridiculed and turned down the film.

Her decisions may have shocked people at the time but it was these choices that built Aishwarya Rai's legacy. Aishwarya Rai's personal life was also always in the headlines. 

Her romance with Salman Khan, which blossomed on the sets of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, became the talk of the town. Eventually, that chapter came to an end as fate had other plans. In 2007, Aishwarya Rai tied the knot with Abhishek Bachchan, the only son of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.  

On the work front, Aishwarya Rai was last seen in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: I and its sequel, Ponniyin Selvan: II.

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