Shah Rukh Khan once said he regretted playing Aishwarya Rai’s twin brother in Josh due to…

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, one of India(BHARAT)n cinema’s most graceful and talented stars, turns a year older today. Known for her elegance, charm, and powerful performances, she has shared screen space with some of Bollywood’s biggest names, but few pairings have matched the magic she created with Shah Rukh Khan. Their chemistry in Devdas remains iconic even after more than two decades.

However, what many fans often forget is that before the grandeur of Devdas, SRK and Aishwarya first appeared together in a film that gave them a completely different relationship on screen, that of twin siblings in Josh.

How did Aishwarya and SRK end up playing twins in Josh?

Released in 2000, Mansoor Khan’s Josh was a musical action-drama set in a vibrant Goan town divided between rival gangs. Shah Rukh Khan played Max, the fearless leader of the Eagles, while Aishwarya essayed his loving and spirited twin sister Shirley. The duo shared a warm, affectionate bond that became one of the film’s highlights.

But what caught everyone’s attention was the unconventional casting. Two of the most attractive stars of their generation were cast as siblings, and not as romantic leads, something rare in Bollywood. Fans who adored both actors couldn’t help but wonder how the dynamic would have worked in a love story.

Their wish was fulfilled two years later, when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas brought them together again, this time as star-crossed lovers whose tragic romance became one of Hindi cinema’s most unforgettable tales.

What did SRK say about playing Aishwarya’s brother?

Years later, during a popular award function, Shah Rukh Khan made a witty confession about his time working with Aishwarya in Josh. Sharing the stage with her, he laughed and admitted that his biggest regret was that in his first film with “the most beautiful woman in the world,” he ended up playing her brother.

He added that people often told him they looked alike, a typical compliment for twins, and he couldn’t help but find the irony in it.

With his signature charm, SRK wrapped up the story with a punchline that had everyone laughing. He said, if Aishwarya is the most beautiful woman in the world and he was cast as her twin, then surely, he must also be quite handsome himself.

From siblings to soulful lovers on screen

After Josh, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai went on to share screen space in Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam and Mohabbatein, where their chemistry shone in different shades. But it was Devdas (2002) that immortalised them as one of Bollywood’s most elegant and emotional on-screen pairs.

The two later reunited for a brief but memorable moment in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), where Aishwarya played a poet and SRK made a powerful cameo as her ex-husband, completing a full-circle journey from twins to lovers to estranged partners.

Highlights

1. SRK once revealed he regretted playing Aishwarya’s twin in Josh.
2. The duo’s pairing later became legendary in Devdas.
3. Their real-life camaraderie continues to charm fans even decades later.