Shilpa Shirodkar recalls Farah Khan rejecting her for ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ because she was fat: ‘Where will Shah Rukh Khan stand?’ |

Shilpa Shirodkar, a popular actor from the 1990s, recently shared in an interview that she was offered the song ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya‘ from Dil Se, but the opportunity was taken away because she was considered ‘fat.’ She recalled Farah Khan telling her she was not suitable for the part.
In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, Shilpa confirmed she was offered the song ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ but lost the opportunity due to being considered “fat.” When asked if she regretted missing out on the chance, she admitted feeling bad about it but also expressed gratitude for the blessings and opportunities she has received since then.

When asked about what Farah, the choreographer of the song, told her at the time, Shilpa Shirodkar shared that Farah simply mentioned they were looking for someone else and suggested they could work together in the future. She recalled being told, “You’re a little fatter,” though she doesn’t remember the exact words now, but she knew the reason for missing out was her weight.

Farah confirmed Shilpa’s account during a chat on her YouTube channel with Karanveer Mehra. She explained that she had initially approached Shilpa for the song Chhaiya Chhaiya, but when she saw her, Shilpa didn’t meet her expectations. Farah mentioned that at the time, Shilpa weighed around 100 kgs, and she questioned how she would manage to get on the train or where Shah Rukh Khan would stand if she did.
The song Chhaiya Chhaiya was also offered to Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty, but both declined for different reasons. Eventually, Malaika Arora performed the iconic dance number alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.