Namrata Shirodkar’s sister was the first choice for the iconic Chaiyya Chaiyya song from Dil Se. But she was rejected for a reason as unexpected as it was unfortunate.
Farah approached Shilpa and asked her to lose weight. When Shilpa couldn’t meet the expectations Malaika took her place and the rest is legend.
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If Shilpa had been featured in the song, it would have changed the impact of the song and Shilpa herself revealed on Bigg Boss 18 that only Farah and Mani Ratnam knew why she was rejected.
This rejection shows the body pressure of 90s Bollywood. If Shilpa had been in the song, her career would have been different and she would have been more visible.
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Shilpa’s case shows how the industry focuses on physical beauty that decides careers and the song’s history and how Malaika’s performance made her a star in Bollywood.
Shilpa’s lost opportunity reflects the body norms that impacted individual careers and business in general though Malaika made Chaiyya Chaiyya a superhit.
