'3 Idiots' to 'Dil To Pagal Hai' - Hits rejected by Kajol

From a tomboyish babbling college girl screaming, "Rahul, juice juice!" in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, playing a single, independent mother in ‘My Name Is Khan’, doubling up as the villain in 'Gupt', to being the dutiful wife in historical drama ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ – Kajol has transformed effortlessly from one character to the next, playing each with an unparalleled conviction. However, in a career spanning nearly three decades, Kajol has also turned down several interesting roles and engaging narratives, which went on to become blockbusters. Take a look:

Rajkumar Hirani had approached Kajol to play the leading lady in Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi-starrer ‘3 Idiots’. In an interview, Kajol later revealed that she had turned down the offer because she thought that she didn’t have much to do in the film and that she wouldn’t have felt happy doing it. The role was then taken up by Kareena Kapoor Khan who was remarkable in her performance as Pia opposite Aamir's Rancho. The film went on to become the highest-grosser of its time.

‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ had won Karisma Kapoor a National Award, but did you know that Kajol was first approached to play the part in the Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit-starrer? Producer-director-co-writer, Yash Chopra had approached his blue-eyed girl to play the role of the girl who is secretly in love with SRK's character in the film, but Kajol reportedly didn’t like the part.

Kajol was also envisioned as a part of ‘Mohabbatein’, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, Kim Sharma, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Preeti Jhangiani. Kajol was reportedly offered the role of one of the parallel leads and speculations were rife at the time that it was the role eventually essayed by Ash, but she rejected it.

Fans ship Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan’s evergreen jodi and director Yash Chopra was keen to recreate the 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' magic on the silver screen with his 2004 directorial ‘Veer Zaara’. The period drama was going to feature Kajol and SRK as lovers in caught in the cross-border love story. However, Kajol turned down the role and it went to Preity Zinta.