Dilip Kumar to Fahadh Faasil: Indian Stars Who Turned Down Major Hollywood Films

Over the decades, several Indian actors have passed on high-profile international projects for reasons ranging from scheduling conflicts and creative choices to personal priorities. From Dilip Kumar turning down the iconic “Lawrence of Arabia” to Fahadh Faasil declining Alejandro González Iñárritu's upcoming “Digger,” here's a look at the Hollywood films that almost featured some of India's biggest stars.

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Fahadh Faasil turned down ‘Digger’ (2026)

The new trailer for the 2026 film “Digger” shows Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an eccentric and corrupt oil baron. Interestingly, Fahadh Faasil was in talks to play the role of Ganesh, which ultimately went to Riz Ahmed, in the Alejandro González Iñárritu's satirical black comedy. He turned down the opportunity when filmmaker Iñárritu suggested he work on his accent in the United States for four months, without any pay. In an interview with CUE Studio, Faasil also said that he would like to work more in the Malayalam industry rather than going abroad to work in Hollywood films.

Deepika Padukone turned down ‘Fast & Furious 7’ (2015)

Deepika Padukone made her Hollywood debut with “XXX: Return of Xander Cage,” (2017) where she starred alongside Vin Diesel. While that was a successful attempt in breaking into the West, the actor had previously declined the offer to star in “Fast & Furious 7” (2015). She was actively working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's “Goliyon Ki Raasleela - Ram Leela” (2013) and could not adjust her dates to accommodate the movie's immediate shooting schedule.

Irrfan turned down ‘Interstellar’ (2014)

Irrfan was offered a role in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi film “Interstellar.” Nolan had considered the Indian actor for the role of Dr. Mann, which eventually went to Matt Damon. The reason for Irrfan rejecting Christopher Nolan’s offer were scheduling conflicts due to filming “The Lunchbox” and “D-Day” at the same time.

Priyanka Chopra rejected ‘Immortals’ (2011)

While Priyanka Chopra went on to make a career in Hollywood, she once declined the offer to star in “Immortals” (2011) due to scheduling conflicts with her film “7 Khoon Maaf” (2011). However, she later made her Hollywood debut as FBI recruit Alex Parrish in the ABC thriller series “Quantico” (2015 - 2018). Ever since, she has starred in “Baywatch” (2017), “The Matrix Resurrections” (2021), “Citadel” (2023), “Heads of State” (2025) and “The Bluff” (2026).

Hrithik Roshan turned down ‘The Pink Panther 2’ (2009)

Hrithik Roshan was offered “The Pink Panther 2” alongside Steve Martin and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The actor had to decline the offer to play Vicente to focus on his Bollywood projects. The part, later named Vincenzo Brancaleoni, went to Andy García.

Shah Rukh Khan turned down ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ (2008)

Shah Rukh Khan was offered the role of Prem Kumar, the game show host in the film “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008). He did not want to play the role due to its mean and dishonest nature. The role was eventually played by Anil Kapoor.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turned down ‘Troy’ (2004)

Shortly after “Devdas” (2002) was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was offered the action film “Troy” (2004) alongside Brad Pitt. While she went on to star in other Hollywood projects, such as “Bride and Prejudice” (2004), “The Mistress of Spices” (2005), “Provoked” (2007) and “Pink Panther 2” (2009), she turned down “Troy” as she wasn't comfortable with the intimate scenes. The role went to Rose Byrne. Many reports also suggest that she was offered the female lead role of Jane Smith in the 2005 hit movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” which later went to Angelina Jolie. She declined the offer due to the bold scenes.

Dilip Kumar turned down ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)

Dilip Kumar is widely known to have turned down a significant Hollywood opportunity by declining the role of Sherif Ali in David Lean's 1962 epic “Lawrence of Arabia.” The part was eventually played by Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, whose performance won him international fame.