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THROWBACK: When Juhi Chawla revealed she turned down Draupadi's role in BR Chopra's Mahabharat after signing Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Let us rewind to the moment when Juhi Chawla stated that she selected to play Draupadi in BR Chopra's Mahabharat before she signed Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak but later turned down the former role.
Indian audience and their love for mythological shows is incomparable. BR Chopra’s Mahabharat was among such shows which emerged as a cult classic and its re-telecast manages to gain viewership even today. But do you know, Juhi Chawla signed the dotted lines to play Draupadi in the show? However, things didn't go her way, and hence Roopa Ganguly essayed the character.
In one of her early interviews, Juhi Chawla recalled meeting BR Chopra and shared why she didn't play Draupadi in his show, Mahabharat. The actress called him a well-mannered and learned man and detailed that Chopra saab treated her with immense respect. She said that the revered producer took her screen test for Draupadi’s role and he selected her.
Further, Juhi added, “Then, when Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was signed, he told me, ‘Don’t do it (my show). TV rehne do, if your film is getting made, work there.’” The Ishq actress stated that BR Chopra showed her the direction when she had no knowledge of making the right choice for herself in the industry.
In the same interview, Juhi Chawla added that she knew only a handful of people and was confused about what to do. Interestingly, her meeting with BR Chopra happened before the release of her debut film Sultanat, which made its way to the audience in 1986.
Coming to the Mahabharat show, the BR Chopra created show is among the most successful mythological sagas ever made in India. It boasted an ensemble cast and featured Nitish Bharadwaj, Goofy Paintal, Mukesh Khanna, Praveen Kumar, Girija Shankar, Surendra Pal, Pankaj Dheer, Gajendra Chauhan and Roopa Ganguly in pivotal roles.
The show returned to the television screen during the lockdown period when the coronavirus pandemic broke out. Amazingly, it became one of the most-watched Indian shows. BR Chopra's Mahabharat originally aired from October 2, 1988, to June 24, 1990, on Doordarshan.
Speaking of Juhi Chawla, the actress is one of the most successful personalities in Indian cinema. Some of her well-known films are Darr, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Yes Boss, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and Duplicate, among others.
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