Before Ranveer Singh’s Don 3 exit, these Bollywood stars also quit or were replaced in high-profile films

Several actors, including Kartik Aaryan, Salman Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and others, have walked out of or been replaced in major film projects in the past.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued a non-cooperation directive against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh after he walked out of Don 3 before the film’s shooting began. But this isn’t the first time that an A-lister has stepped away from a high-profile project. Many stars in the past have either been replaced or chosen to walk out of films at the last moment. In fact, Kiara Advani, who was cast opposite Ranveer, was also rumoured to have stepped away from the project after announcing her pregnancy in 2025.

While Kartik Aaryan was ousted from Karan Johar's Dostana 2, Priyanka Chopra walked out of Salman Khan's Bharat.

Let’s take a look at other stars who left or were replaced in big projects recently:

Salman Khan – Inshallah

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Salman Khan, who last worked together in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), were supposed to reunite for Bhansali’s Inshallah. Alia Bhatt was also cast opposite Salman in the film. However, due to reported creative differences between Salman and Sanjay, the film was officially shelved in August 2019.

Kartik Aaryan – Dostana 2

Kartik Aaryan was supposed to play the lead role in Karan Johar’s Dostana 2, but he was ousted from the film in April 2021. It was reported that he was removed from the project due to scheduling conflicts and allegations of unprofessional behaviour. The actor’s exit took place after he had already shot for 20 days for the film with Janhvi Kapoor. It was later reported that Lakshya and Vikrant Massey had been cast as the film’s main leads.

Shraddha Kapoor – Saina Biopic

It is a well-known fact that Shraddha Kapoor was the original choice to play badminton star Saina Nehwal in her 2021 biographical film Saina. The actor had even undergone extensive training for the same. However, she contracted dengue and had to be replaced by Parineeti Chopra. Later, filmmaker Amole Gupte confirmed the same and shared how Shraddha’s health made it difficult for her to train for long and exhausting hours for the sports drama.

Priyanka Chopra – Bharat

Priyanka Chopra had already starred in Hollywood projects like A Kid Like Jake, Quantico and Baywatch when she announced her Bollywood comeback with Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat, opposite none other than Salman Khan.

The actor, however, opted out of the project, and it was said that she took the step primarily to accommodate her impending wedding to Nick Jonas. However, many reports also suggested that Priyanka gave preference to shooting another Hindi film, The Sky Is Pink, with Farhan Akhtar, which was released the same year Bharat hit screens in 2019. Industry buzz also suggested that she wanted to pursue the international project Cowboy Ninja Viking at that time, which was later shelved.

Aishwarya Rai – Chalte Chalte, Heroine, Veer-Zaara

Aishwarya Rai was originally cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Aziz Mirza’s 2003 film Chalte Chalte. According to reports, due to disruptions caused on set by her then-boyfriend Salman Khan, she was replaced in the film by Rani Mukerji. In fact, when Simi Garewal asked Aishwarya about being replaced by Rani in Chalte Chalte and Preity Zinta in Veer-Zaara, the actor admitted that she never received any explanation for the decisions.

It was also reported that she was the first choice for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine, but she stepped away from the project after conceiving her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan. Kareena Kapoor Khan was later cast in the lead role.

Kareena Kapoor – Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai

It was reported that Kareena Kapoor was cast opposite Hrithik Roshan in his debut film Kaho Naa. Pyaar Hai (2000), which was directed by Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan. However, due to creative disagreements between Kareena’s mother Babita and Rakesh, she walked out of the project and Ameesha Patel was cast instead, marking her debut in the film industry. Kareena eventually made her Bollywood debut the same year with Refugee.