Amitabh Bachchan was to be paired opposite Anu Aggarwal in King Uncle

With Aashiqui, Anu Aggarwal, an actor turned yoga master, became the season’s flavour. After Aashiqui Anu, she was inundated with offers, one of which was King Uncle by Rakesh Roshan. The face can stop a crowd. The statement on the Aashiqui poster has gotten a lot of attention.

For those who are unaware, Amitabh Bachchan was scheduled to star alongside Anu in King Uncle. However, things did not work out in the end, and Jackie Shroff was cast in the part. When approached, Anu stated, “It’s true that the script was originally written with Amitabh Bachchan in mind but Jackie was to play the role! I believe things happen or don’t, and when they do, it is the perfect time for them. And if they don’t there is some blessing hidden. Who knows who I will act with now? And, whoever it is will be perfect even if imperfect in a few ways,” says the Aashiqui actor.

But Anu knew Amitabh socially, and they kept bumping into each other in unexpected places. “We would end up at the same parties or nightclubs. He was always extremely polite, gentlemanly, appreciative, and almost motherly-patronizing in his advice to me on how to tackle Bollywood, as we were made of a different perspective than the prevalent trends. He was one of the handful at the time who came from similar backgrounds, with accomplishments. He had also told me once that his kids have loved me in Aashiqui,” she adds.

She also mentions working with the actor. “One of the first covers I shot with any actor was with him. I remember how funny he was when he turned up late for the shoot. He humorously blamed my Aashiqui poster with my face in it for the reason behind traffic jams. One of the most shocking things was when utter lies were written in a tabloid about me and Amitabh vacationing in Lonavala or something, There were no social media to clarify rumours in those days” she says.

Anu’s career was influenced by King Uncle. She is also pleased with how her stint in Bollywood went throughout the short years she worked as an actor. “I am thrilled at the diverse roles I got to play in that short period of time when I was active in Bollywood. It was like each role I played in the total 4-5 films I chose to do was diametrically opposite from one another, and were strong characters. Fanny, my character in King Uncle, had so many people come and tell me they never expected to see me look that Goan, Portuguese pretty while making the viewer believe in that popular relationship with a child actor as well. It certainly added a feather to my acting cap,” she ends.