Saif Ali Khan is a popular Bollywood star who has established himself as one of the most versatile actors in the film industry and on OTT platforms as well. He was recently seen sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan in filmmaker duo Pushkar–Gayathri’s recent movie Vikram Vedha.
The 2017 Tamil version featured R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi and was a blockbuster. However, the Hindi remake which is made with a whopping budget of Rs 175 crore has somewhat failed to recreate the magic at the domestic box office. From ‘Love Aaj Kal’ to ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’, Saif has come a long way in his acting career and won numerous awards for his brilliant performances.
Moreover, the 52-year-old superstar is one of the first A-listers to feature in an OTT show like Sacred Games and proved what an amazing actor he is. In case you don’t know, we would like to tell you that Saif Ali Khan’s journey hasn’t been smooth as he faced several problems in the form of failed projects, and on top of that he turned down films that proved to be blockbuster hits.
Movies Rejected by Saif Ali Khan That Were Massive Hits
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Aditya Chopra’s 1995 romantic drama Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a  classic movie that had a great impact on the Indian film industry and audience as well. Did you know?  The makers of the superhit film wanted to cast Saif Ali Khan in the lead role but Nawab turned down the offer due to the unavailability of dates, reportedly. Later on, the makers approached Shah Rukh Khan and he agreed to play the lead role opposite Kajol.
Devdas
As reported by TOI, the role of Chunnilal which is played by Jackie Shroff in Devdas was initially offered to Saif Ali Khan. But the actor had to turn down this offer as well due to various other commitments.
This Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead proved to be one of the most evergreen Bollywood films, and sadly, Saif missed out on another opportunity to add a massive hit to his portfolio.
 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Did you know Saif Ali Khan was offered the role of Aman Mehra in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Moreover, the talented actor has frequently talked about missing out on the opportunity to be a part of the iconic Bollywood movie, the role that was offered to Saif Ali Khan was eventually passed on to Salman Khan. The plot of the movie revolved around love and friendship. Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji played prominent roles.
 2 states
During the promotions of 2 States, a romantic comedy movie that is based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel of the same title, producer Sajid Nadiadwala revealed that Dharma Productions face Karan Johar initially offered the lead role to Saif Ali Khan. Just like another time the Nawab of Pataudi denied the offer, it was then passed to Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir. Later on, the makers decided to cast Arjun Kapoor as the main lead.
Race 3
After receiving appreciation and praises from the audience for his mind-blowing performances in the first two parts of the Race franchise, Saif Ali Khan decided to step back from the popular franchise, leaving the opportunity for Salman Khan to step in and take over. However, the third installment left critics and the audience disappointed still the film managed to perform well at the box office, Salman Khan’s massive fan following can be the reason.
Talaash: The Answer Lies Within
In a conversation with BBC Asian Network, Kareena Kapoor Khan revealed that Saif Ali Khan had said no to the opportunity to share screen space with her in Reema Kagti’s 2012 crime thriller Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. The film starred Aamir Khan in the lead role and ended up emerging as one of the highest-earning movies of 2012.