Soha Khan was dropped from debut film after SRK joined
What's the story
Soha Ali Khan, daughter of veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and former cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, recently opened up about her acting journey. In a chat with Mashable India, she revealed that she was replaced by Rani Mukerji in what was supposed to be her debut film, Paheli (2005), after Shah Rukh Khan joined the project.
Career shift
How Khan landed the role in 'Paheli'
Khan shared that she was working at Citibank when Amol Palekar approached her with the script of Paheli. "I had to pay ₹17,000 as my rent. I was earning a good salary." "Then Amol Palekar came to me, and he spoke to me about the script." "I had been offered some films because of my brother (Saif Ali Khan) and my mother (Tagore)."
Industry insights
Khan admits 'didn't understand the skill set needed to act'
Khan admitted she underestimated the challenges of becoming a film actor. "I didn't understand the skill set needed to act in the movies in those times," she confessed. She was drawn to Palekar's project because of its intriguing subject matter, but had to quit her job at Citibank as it required a couple of months' commitment.
Role reversal
This is how she found out about being replaced
Khan was informed by Palekar that Shah Rukh would be playing the lead role, which led to her removal from the project. "Amol ji called me and said, 'Shah Rukh Khan is playing the role.'" "I said, 'Wow, that's amazing.' He said, 'No, you don't understand. That means you are not playing this role. Somebody else will be playing this.'" "I was like, 'Ouch.' Then I was like, 'What do I do now? How do I pay my rent?'"
Career progression
Khan's career
After being replaced in Paheli, Khan made her acting debut with the Bengali film Iti Srikanta. The film was released in 2004, which was before Paheli (2005). She then made her Bollywood debut with Dil Maange More!!! with Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia and Tulip Joshi. However, it failed to impress at the box office. Khan later found success with Rang De Basanti. Meanwhile, she was last seen in Chhorii 2 on Amazon Prime Video.