Shilpa Shirodkar reveals Farah Khan rejected her from ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ for being ‘too fat’

Shilpa Shirodkar just opened up about a piece of Bollywood history most fans never knew about. The 90s actress revealed she was originally meant to appear in the iconic song ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ alongside Shah Rukh Khan, before losing the opportunity entirely.

The revelation surfaced during Shilpa’s recent appearance on India’s Best Dancer Season 05. Host Haarsh Limbachiyaa brought up the topic directly, mentioning that he had learned Shilpa was initially supposed to be part of the now legendary song.

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Also Read: Malaika Arora reveals how she casually landed ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ song with Shah Rukh Khan

What actually happened

Shilpa confirmed the story herself, recalling how choreographer Farah Khan had originally approached her with the song. According to Shilpa, Farah gave her a 15 day window and asked her to lose weight before the shoot.

Shilpa said she took the instruction seriously, sticking to a diet of boiled vegetables for those 15 days. Despite her efforts, she said the weight loss was not enough in Farah’s eyes.

Losing the song

Shilpa recounted Farah eventually coming back to her with disappointing news. According to Shilpa, Farah told her she was still ‘too heavy’ for the song and that they could not go ahead with her for it.

The song ultimately went on to feature Malaika Arora instead, becoming one of the most iconic dance numbers in Bollywood history.

Shilpa was candid about the situation, acknowledging that she was indeed heavier at the time, which is why she missed out on the song. She did, however, push back on one specific detail, saying that while Farah described her weight as 100 kilos, she was not actually that heavy.

The revelation clearly caught everyone on set off guard. Shilpa added a playful touch to the conversation by turning to judge Geeta Kapur, pointing out that Geeta had actually witnessed the entire incident firsthand.

Geeta responded with a smile, confirming her connection to the moment by saying she had been an assistant at the time.

A look at Shilpa Shirodkar’s career

Shilpa Shirodkar has had a long career spanning both films and television. During the 90s, she was one of Bollywood’s most popular actresses. She appeared in several hit films including Hum and Kishan Kanhaiya, among others.

Beyond her film career, Shilpa also became a familiar face to television audiences more recently through her stint on Bigg Boss Season 18.