Rukhsar says she rejected Baazigar, Roja and 1942: A Love Story

Rukhsar Rehman, who debuted in 1992 as a teen, quit acting at 17 after marriage due to family pressure. She revealed missing out on major roles in Roja, 1942: A Love Story, and Baazigar, including the chance to work with Mani Ratnam, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Shah Rukh Khan.Reflecting on Two Phases of Her CareerIn an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rukhsar Rehman spoke about the two phases of her career, having returned to films in 2005. She admitted feeling disappointed about missed opportunities but chose not to elaborate on her father's decision to stop her from working, saying it wouldn’t be fair as he’s no longer around.Father’s Decision Ended Her Acting JourneyRukhsar Rehman revealed that she was once offered Shilpa Shetty’s role in Baazigar, after being told the male lead (Shah Rukh Khan) would be a big star.

However, her father, an IAS officer, had already decided to end her acting career, feeling culturally shocked by the film industry and choosing to move the family back to UP.Regrets but No ResentmentRukhsar said she never felt her world had fallen apart but did regret missing chances like working with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who made a classic Hindi film. She was offered Manisha Koirala’s role but admired her performance. Though she wanted to ask her late father why she was pulled from acting, she never did.

An Intimidating Father and Lost Dreams

Rukhsar described her father as “an intimidating man.” Reflecting on Roja, she said, “My first thought after watching the movie was, ‘I could’ve seen snowfall for the first time.’” She explained that most decisions were made between her father and producers, and that they stayed in a hotel while she was in Mumbai. She admitted her career would have taken a very different path if she had done those films.