EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Renu Chopra reveals Juhi Chawla was first choice for Mahabharat’s Draupadi, but then this happened

In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, producer Renu Chopra reveals that actress Juhi Chawla was the first choice for Draupadi's role in B. R. Chopra's Mahabharat.

By Shaibalina Choudhury

Updated on Feb 23, 2025 | 01:16 PM IST | 11.2K

(PC: Pinkvilla/ Juhi Chawla Instagram)

The epic mythological tale, Mahabharat was brought on television screens by the visionary B.R. Chopra. Even after three decades since the show aired, the craze among viewers is still the same. Now, producer Renu Chopra who is married to B.R. Chopra's son Ravi Chopra, made an interesting revelation about the show. While exclusively speaking to Pinkvilla, she revealed that Bollywood beauty Juhi Chawla was the first choice for the role of Draupadi.

Renu Chopra tells us, "Juhi is an amazing girl. Juhi Chawla was to play Draupadi in Mahabharat and Mahabharat’s preparation took about 2 and a half years, or maybe more. And in the meantime, Juhi got the offer for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. She was signed with us, under contract, that she cannot do anything else."

Watch the full interaction with Renu Chopra below:

She continues, "So, Juhi came to us and said, ‘Chopra saab, mujhe ye picture mil gayi hain. Aab Mahabharat mujhe pata nahi kab banegi, mujhe jane de do.’ So, papa ne kah, ‘Haan, koi baat nahim bachhe jaa ke picture kar lo. Draupadi ka role mein kisi aur ko de dunga kyunki mujhe naye faces chahiye’ and she got out of the thing.”

(So, Juhi came to us and said, ‘Chopra saab, I got this film. I don’t know when Mahabharat will be made, so please let me go.' So, my father said, 'Yes, no problem, child. Go and do the film. I will give Draupadi’s role to someone else because I want new faces.' And that’s how she got out of it.)

Renu Chopra also opens up on her current equation with Juhi Chawla. "But aaj taak, Juhi jab humare ghar aati thi, humare thresh hold pe matha tikti thi. And Diwali ho aur Holi ho, koi bhi cheez jo wo karti hain, uska pehla hamper mere ghar pe aata hain, aaj taak, itne saal baad. Amazing woman," says the producer.

(But even today, whenever Juhi visits our home, she bows down at our doorstep. Whether it’s Diwali, Holi, or any other occasion, the first hamper she sends always comes to our house—even after all these years. She is an amazing woman.)

For the unversed, B.R. Chopra, a notable director, and producer entered the television space with Mahabharat, which became the most successful TV series. Nitish Bharadwaj played the role of Krishna and Mukesh Khanna portrayed the role of Bhism pitamah. Actress-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly was seen as Draupadi.