Not Bhagyashree but THIS actor was the first choice to play Suman in Maine Pyar Kiya opposite Salman Khan

Sooraj Barjatya, A still from Maine Pyar Kiya, Upasana Singh (L-R)

Sooraj Barjatya's 1989 film Maine Pyar Kiya starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree proved as a big break for both actors. Salman had appeared in a small role in the film Biwi Ho Toh Aisi earlier, but this was his first film as the lead. Bhagyashree marked her debut with this film. Sooraj Barjatya had auditioned many actors for his film and one of them was Upasana Singh.

Upasana Singh reveals she was the first choice for Maine Pyar Kiya's Suman

The Kapil Sharma Show fame Upasana Singh recently revealed in an interview with Siddharth Kannan that she was rejected for the role of Suman because she was taller than Salman Khan. She recalled she was selected by Sooraj Barjatya after the first round of audition, but his father Raj Kumar Barjatya did not deem her fit for the role. Upasana mentioned that she met director Sooraj Barjatya when she first came to Mumbai. She recalled, "He told me everything about the film, my role. And he selected me. After that, he said you come tomorrow and meet my father but from my end, you are okay. The next day, I met his father and he rejected me. They are very sweet people so he did not say rejected but they did not call me again."

Upasana mentioned that many years later, she worked with Rajshri Productions on Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon and that is when Raj Kumar Barjatya revealed to the film's cast and crew that Upasana was their first choice for the role of Suman. She recalled the anecdote from the set and said, "He said, ‘Did you know who was our first choice for Maine Pyar Kiya?' Kareena, Abhishek, and Hrithik were all there. I had never told people about it because I lost out on the role. Then he said ‘It was Upasana'. Everyone on set was shocked to hear this. Upasana replied to this, by saying, "But because of you I didn't get the role." He said ‘if I had selected you, then you would have also left the movies like Bhagyashree."

Upasana Singh reveals the real reason for her rejection

Upasana later revealed the real reason for not being cast as Suman and it was because she was tall. "He said ‘I am not making an excuse, but you were taller than Salman'. That is what I was told. They wanted someone who was a little shorter than Salman so that's why they didn't cast me. They were not lying," she recalled. Maine Pyar Kiya proved to be a massive hit at the box office and Salman and Bhagyashree gained instant success and stardom after its release.