Deepshikha Nagpal reveals Aishwarya Rai was originally cast for 'Rishtey', not Karisma Kapoor: 'I was pregnant with my daughter at the time'

Actress Deepshikha Nagpal is best known for her roles in movies such as 'Koyla', 'Baadshah', 'Dillagi', and 'Partner'. In a recent interview, she disclosed that Aishwarya Rai was initially considered for the lead role in 'Rishtey' before Karisma Kapoor took it.

Initial Approach and Pregnancy

In a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Deepshikha recalled how she was first approached for the film 'Rishtey' by Indra Kumar. At that time, she was pregnant and had to decline the offer. She explained, “Rishtey, now, every film has a story. So Rishtey came to me when Indra ji called me. I said, ‘I can’t do it—I’m pregnant.’ I was pregnant with my daughter at the time. So I told him, ‘I can’t do it.’” However, six months later, Indra ji reached out again. Deepshikha noted that back then, filmmakers were patient with actors’ schedules. She said, “He called and asked, ‘Deepshikha, are you free?’ I said, ‘Your film must be completed by now. You must’ve even started another one.’ He said, ‘No, the casting has changed.’”


Casting Changes and Role Hesitation

The actress further added, “At that time, Aishwarya Rai was supposed to be the heroine, and later Karisma Kapoor was signed. So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll come and hear the role.’ I went to Indra ji’s office, and he explained the character. I said, ‘No, I don’t want to do this. Every time I’m offered a role, I’m either breaking up someone’s home or playing someone’s second girlfriend, or the man is having an affair with me while being married.’ I told him, ‘Listen, I’m done with such roles.’ He said, ‘Just hear the climax once.’ And when he narrated the climax, I said to myself, ‘What a strong story! I love it.’ I said, ‘I’m doing the film.'”

On-Set Experiences

She revealed that her daughter was just about four months old when she worked on the movie. She was a big fan of Anil Kapoor and felt shy during a confrontation scene with him. Anil joked that getting married would make such scenes easier to perform. She also described a club scene where her character tells Karisma’s character that despite her attire, she had slept with her husband.

Balancing Motherhood and Career

Deepshikha added that the scene was very intense. Karisma often remarked on how thin she looked despite being a mother, to which she would jokingly respond that people should wait until she got married to see what happens. She noted that such comments were common at the time, but nowadays, many people successfully balance work and personal life.