Aishwarya's lookalike Sneha was recommended by Arpita Khan

Filmmakers Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru recently shared insights on how newcomer Sneha Ullal was cast in

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with Salman Khan. Sneha attracted eyeballs because of her resemblance to Aishwarya Rai, a trend that continued to haunt her throughout her brief career in Bollywood. The Casting Process: No Deliberate StrategyIn a candid interview, the filmmakers clarified that casting Sneha wasn’t a deliberate choice to find someone resembling Aishwarya. This came at a time when Salman and Aishwarya were rumoured to have been in a relationship just before the film’s release.Unintentional Comparisons: Acknowledging the Resemblance

Talking to Hindi Rush, the filmmakers were asked about Sneha Ullal’s striking resemblance to Aishwarya Rai and whether her casting was a deliberate strategy. They explained, “It wasn’t a strategy. We wanted to cast a newcomer, and Arpita (Khan, Salman’s sister) mentioned a very pretty girl from her college and suggested we audition her. The role was of a schoolgirl whose parents worked in an embassy, and she needed to have the vibe of someone who had lived in Europe. Sneha fit the role perfectly.”The filmmakers acknowledged that they gradually realized how the narrative was unfolding, but stressed that they never saw the resemblance as something to be overly focused on, especially when comparing anyone to someone as beautiful as Aishwarya Rai. Radhika added, “We’d occasionally notice the resemblance during shooting, but so many people resemble others. We never felt it was that striking, but when the campaign began and people started pointing it out, that’s when we took notice. It would be untrue to say we didn’t think about it, but it wasn’t a big deal. Honestly, being compared to Aishwarya is a compliment!”Sneha Ullal on Publicity and ComparisonsSneha Ullal has previously mentioned that the focus on her appearance was largely driven by publicists. She clarified that she was always comfortable in her own skin and that the comparisons didn’t affect her. According to Sneha, the way her image was portrayed by the PR team amplified the comparison, making it a bigger issue than it might have been otherwise.Zarine Khan’s Similar Struggle: Comparisons to Katrina KaifInterestingly, another actor launched by Salman Khan had to deal with similar comparisons to someone she was rumored to have dated and then parted ways with. Zarine Khan, who made her debut in Veer, has spent years facing comparisons to Katrina Kaif. Speaking on Bharti Singh’s podcast, Zarine revealed that life after Veer was challenging, and she received a lot of criticism. While she initially felt flattered by being compared to Katrina, the experience turned difficult as her career progressed. Zarine, who had previously struggled with her weight, saw the comparison as a significant milestone, but it eventually backfired. She felt like an outsider in the industry, and despite being launched by Salman Khan, she was perceived as arrogant by many.