Last Update: January 14, 2023, 13:22 IST
The popular Mahabharat show aired on DD National starring Ravi Chopra.
Juhi left the 1988 mythological saga after she was selected to be a part of Mansoor Khan’s iconic film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla has delivered some amazing performances in her illustrious career. The diva has made her place in the hearts of many Bollywood Buff over with her million-dollar smile and adorable expressions. Juhi has successfully carved a niche for herself in the Hindi film industry. But did you know that the Dard actress was roped in to play an important character on the small screen very early in her career? The 55-year-old actress was roped in to play Draupadi in BR Chopra’s ambitious project Mahabharata. After being selected to be a part of Mansoor Khan’s iconic film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Juhi had left the 1988 mythological saga despite bagging a pivotal role.
The popular Mahabharat show aired on DD National starring Ravi Chopra. It was co-written by Pandit Narendra Sharma and Rahi Masoom Raza. According to India Today, the makers put out an advertisement in a newspaper inviting celebrities to audition for the roles. Out of many female auditioners, six actresses, namely Ramya Krishnan and Roopa Ganguly, including Juhi Chawla, were selected for the character of Draupadi.
Juhi was the first choice for the makers of Mahabharat as the lead female actress. Actor Firoz Khan, who was selected to play the role of Arjun, revealed that he had rehearsed dialogues with the Yes Boss actress, who was to play his on-screen wife. But after getting an opportunity to share screen space with Bollywood star Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Juhi had to leave the show.
Upon Juhi’s departure, screenwriter Pandit Narendra Sharma considered Bengali actress Roopa Ganguly for the role of Draupadi. The screenwriter had earlier seen Roopa in the television show Ganadevata and recommended her name to BR Chopra. After the screen test of the Antarmahal actress, the Tollywood diva was selected for the role of Draupadi, which was approved by both BR Chopra and Rahi.
According to Ravi, Roopa had the perfect ‘fire’, which made the actress perfect for the role. Earlier in an interview, the Padma Nadir Majhi actress shared, “He approached me in Calcutta. They sent me telegrams saying ‘Please contact us immediately. We are looking for Draupadi and we have you in mind.”
Mahabharat had a successful television run from October 1988 to June 1989. Made on a budget of Rs 9 crore, the cast included Nitish Bharadwaj as Krishna, Puneet Issar as Duryodhana, Pankaj Dheer as Karna and Mukesh Khanna as Bhishma.
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