Deepika Padukone, known for her diverse roles and collaborations with Bollywood’s leading men, has an interesting gap in her filmography: a pairing with Salman Khan. Over her 18-year career, she has acted alongside stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar, but a film with Salman Khan has yet to materialize. The reason is not for lack of trying; Padukone reportedly turned down opportunities to work with Khan.
Her debut in Bollywood was in 2007 with the film ‘Om Shanti Om’, where she starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan. This pairing was a hit with audiences, however, she has not appeared in any film with Salman Khan.
Among the films Deepika rejected was ‘Jai Ho’. This film was released in 2013 and was a success at the box office. She also declined to be a part of ‘Kick’ in 2014, which was also a blockbuster.
Furthermore, Deepika turned down roles in ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ and ‘Sultan’. Following her decisions, Anushka Sharma starred in ‘Sultan,’ and Sonam Kapoor appeared in ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.’ Both films were highly successful at the box office. ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ earned over 400 crore rupees and became a major hit. ‘Sultan’ earned over 600 crore rupees worldwide and proved to be a blockbuster.
Although they haven’t starred together in a leading role, Deepika and Salman did share screen space in ‘Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna’ in 2009. Deepika made a cameo appearance in the film. Kareena Kapoor Khan was the lead actress, with Salman’s brother, Sohail Khan, also in the film.