EXCLUSIVE: Did You Know Soha Ali Khan Refused Ayesha Takia’s Role In Dil Maange More?
Before she became a familiar face in Bollywood, Soha Ali Khan was living a very different life. She was working at a bank, paying rent out of her modest salary, and quietly dreaming of something bigger.
EXCLUSIVE: Did You Know Soha Ali Khan Refused Ayesha Takia’s Role In Dil Maange More?
In fact, she admits she didn’t even tell her parents when she quit her job and signed her very first film. Talking about her debut in a candid chat with Instant Bollywood, Soha recalled how Dil Maange More came her way.
“My first film, I think my offer was ₹10 lakhs or something. That was a huge amount of money. I thought, I definitely want to do this. I’ll see later what happens.” And just like that, the world of cinema opened up for her.
But here’s the twist. Soha had the chance to play any of the three female leads in the film, including the role that eventually went to Ayesha Takia.
“Yes, I refused Ayesha Takia’s role. I was offered any of the three roles. And I chose Neha’s role because I connected with that,” she revealed.
At the time, she was in her early twenties and Neha’s ambition-driven character mirrored her own mindset. “In your early 20s you don’t want to get married, you want to work on your career. Like my character did.”
Of course, with hindsight comes wisdom. Soha laughed as she admitted, “I realized later that you should choose the role of the girl who chooses the boy, because then you’re the heroine.” A rookie mistake, but one she narrates now with good humor.
She Was Unemployed, Hadn’t Told Parents She Had Signed Dil Maange More
What makes her journey even more relatable is how uncertain those early days were. The first film she had actually signed never took off, leaving her jobless and still juggling rent payments. “I was actually unemployed, I had no income, but I still had to pay ₹17,000 rent. And I hadn’t told my parents. That’s why I signed Dil Maange More.”
It seems even star kids face their own share of panic decisions, hidden risks, and beginner’s missteps. But sometimes, those very choices, whether it’s quitting a bank job in secret or refusing the ‘heroine role’, end up shaping memorable journeys.
(Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Did You Know Soha Ali Khan Once Had A 2.2 LPA Bank Job, Paid 17,000 Rent?)
