Deepika Padukone's 'Padmaavat' was offered to these 3 popular actors for the lead?

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's 2018 release Padmaavat not only roared at the BO but also won the hearts of the audience with the impeccable performances of the lead cast. Though many from the audience criticised the casting of Shahid Kapoor opposite Deepika Padukone, their chemistry managed to leave fans in their awe. But do you know that Shahid Kapoor was not the first choice for Maharaja Rawal Ratan Singh? Three of the most talented actors were approached opposite Deepika Padukone. Check out the list below

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Actors approached to play Deepika Padukone's on-screen husband

Vicky Kaushal

In an interview with a leading entertainment portal, Vicky Kaushal confirmed that the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had approached him for the lead character, Maharaja Rawal Ratan Singh. Though he did not reveal the reason, Vicky Kaushal said that they were in talks. While not revealing the actual reason, Vicky Kaushal added that certain things fall in place, certain things do not. On the other side, a few media reports have claimed that Deepika Padukone refused to work with Vicky Kaushal as he was not a big name back in the year 2018. 

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John Abraham

From being lovers to siblings, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham have worked together in several films. According to a trivia in IMDb, John Abraham was approached for the Shahid Kapoor's character. Meanwhile, neither the actors nor the makers of Padmaavat have unveiled or confirmed any of such reports. 

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Fawad Khan

During the year 2018, in the wake of the September 2016 Uri attack, amid the India-Pakistan tension, all the Pakistani actors were banned by Bollywood producers. Reportedly, Fawad Khan almost started preparing for the period-drama. A report in July 2016, suggested that Sanjay Leela Bhansali finalised Fawad to play Deepika’s husband. But later, when Shahid Kapoor was announced to play the lead, various online reports stated that the news of Fawad doing or rejecting the period drama were merely rumours.

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Talking about the film, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial released on December 1, 2018. Padmaavat managed to bag praises from the audience and the critics. The film not only set BO on fire but also entered the ₹300 crore club. Apart from Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, the film also featured Ranveer Singh who played his career's first negative role as he essayed ruler Alauddin Khilji in the period drama. Along with the lead cast,  Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka, among many others, played significant characters in the film.