Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyaar Kiya marked Bhagyashree’s debut in Bollywood and was the second film of Salman Khan. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kanan, Upasana Singh revealed that she was the first choice for the lead role, but she was dropped from the film because of her height.
(Also Read: Upasana Singh says she left Kapil Sharma’s show because she didn’t enjoy it: ‘Paise bahot acche de rahe the’)
Upasana Singh recalls Sooraj Barjatya selecting her for lead role in Maine Pyaar Kiya
Upasana recalled meeting Sooraj Barjatya, the director of Maine Pyaar Kiya, after arriving in Mumbai. The filmmaker expressed confidence in her selection after her audition for the role of Suman. “He told me everything about the film, my role, and said I was okay from his side but asked me to just come and meet his father,” she shared. The filmmaker later introduced her to his father, Raj Kumar Barjatya, and then things took a different turn. Raj Kumar Barjatya did not approve of her for the role. They conveyed the decision to the actor by not calling her back.
Years later, while working on Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon with Rajshri Productions, Raj Kumar Barjatya publicly acknowledged that Upasana was their original choice for Suman. Upasana revealed that he admitted the same in the presence of Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Hrithik Roshan. The revelation left everyone surprised. Upasana then playfully blamed him for her missing out on the role. To this, Raj Kumar Barjatya joked that had he chosen her as the lead heroine, she would have left films just like Bhagyashree.
Upasana Singh was replaced by Bhagyashree due to her height
However, Upasana then revealed that the real reason why Raj Kumar Barjatya rejected her was due to her height. She said the filmmakers wanted someone considerably shorter than Salman Khan to create an idealised on-screen dynamic. “He said, ‘I’m not making an excuse, but you were taller than Salman. That’s why we didn’t cast you. They say this, but how am I taller than Salman? My height is 5’7″ and even Sridevi ji was the same height but still worked with Salman. Yet, they wanted someone shorter than Salman in the movie, and apparently, they are not lying.” She joked, “So Salman Khan is the reason why I missed out on Maine Pyaar Kiya.”
Upasana Singh has carved her place in the television and film industry with her roles in films like Judaai, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Hulchul, Aitraaz and shows like Bani – Ishq Da Kalma, Comedy Nights with Kapil, and Nadaniyaan, among others.