Aishwarya Warned: “Stay Away from Bollywood”

When we think of Aishwarya Rai, her captivating eyes come to mind, along with the image of her iconic performance in a blue dress in Nimbooda, or the moment she claimed the Miss World crown in 1994.

Rai has been one of the most celebrated actresses in the Hindi film industry. Not just because of her looks but equally, or more so, because of her acting skills.

But did you know Sanjay Dutt had warned her to stay out of the film business?

Long back in 1993, when she was still in her modelling phase, Sanjay Dutt ran into her at a magazine photoshoot. He was instantly captivated by her beauty. He suggested then that she should stick to modelling instead of pursuing a career in acting.

In an interview later, he reminisces how he remembers watching Rai in a Pepsi ad thinking about how beautiful the actress is.

Sanjay was aware of the hardships of the film industry during that time and had advised Aishwarya to stay away. He thought that her purity and innocence would not be able to withstand the pressure of Bollywood.

He went on about how the industry is selfish- you will be surrounded by people if you’re successful, and isolated if you are not.

Bollywood has a way of toughening you up. Dutt was concerned that when the industry started changing and maturing the actress, her innocence would be gone.

She agreed to the points presented by Dutt. She stuck to choosing roles that she found interesting, despite the influx of offers.

She made her debut with Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam, which was released in 1997. And she hasn’t looked back ever since. The actress still shines bright and is celebrated by fans across industries.