When Aishwarya Rai rejected THIS film opposite Abhishek Bachchan — Here's why

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has reportedly refused to work in a film with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan. Find out why.

Abhishek Bachchan is currently in the news for two reasons: the success of his film 'I Want to Talk' and rumors of a divorce from Aishwarya Rai. Before marriage, they starred together in films like 'Kuch Naa Kaho,' 'Dhoom 2,' 'Bunty Aur Babli,' 'Guru,' and 'Sarkar Raj.' Post-marriage, their only collaboration was Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan,' which underperformed at the box office.

Aishwarya Rai reportedly declined a role in the 2014 hit film 'Happy New Year,' directed by Farah Khan and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah, Jackie Shroff, and Deepika Padukone. She allegedly refused to share the screen with her husband.

In an interview with NDTV, Aishwarya Rai confirmed rejecting the film. She stated, "I received the offer. It seemed like a fun movie, and I thought we could have a good time. But we (Aishwarya and Abhishek) couldn't act opposite each other; it wouldn't look right. So, I declined."

The video clip of Aishwarya's statement has gone viral, with many praising her courage. Comments range from appreciating her simplicity to expressing sadness that she seemingly put her career on hold for Abhishek, who now takes on second lead roles. Some also pointed out the gendered expectations in such situations.

'Happy New Year,' released on October 24, 2014, was a box office success. It earned ₹44.97 crore on its opening day, ₹108.86 crore in its first weekend, and ₹157.57 crore in its first week. The film's total domestic collection was ₹203 crore, and its worldwide gross was ₹383.1 crore. Deepika Padukone's role in the film significantly boosted her career.