Upasana Singh Reveals She Was Almost The Heroine Of Maine Pyar Kiya Before Bhagyashree: “I Felt Really Bad”

More than three decades after Maine Pyar Kiya became one of Bollywood's most iconic love stories, actor Upasana Singh has made a surprising revelation. According to her, she was originally considered for the lead role that eventually launched Bhagyashree into stardom opposite Salman Khan.

In a recent interview, Upasana opened up about the audition process and shared how close she came to becoming the heroine of the 1989 blockbuster.

How Upasana Landed An Audition For The Film

Upasana claimed that she was still studying in Chandigarh when the opportunity came her way. Recalling the events, she said that while visiting Mumbai, she would regularly meet filmmakers and producers because she always dreamed of becoming a leading actress.

Her aunt lived in Chembur, and whenever she came to the city, she made an effort to connect with people from the film industry. During one such visit, she met Gupta ji, who handled work related to filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya.

According to Upasana, Gupta ji informed her that Rajshri Productions was preparing a new film titled Maine Pyar Kiya and arranged a meeting with Sooraj Barjatya. She told him that she had been involved in theatre since childhood and was passionate about acting.

Sooraj Barjatya Reportedly Liked Her Audition

Upasana explained that the audition itself was quite simple. She was asked to perform only a few dialogues rather than going through a lengthy screen test.

Sharing the memory, she revealed that Sooraj Barjatya appeared impressed with her performance. She claimed that after hearing her dialogues, he told Gupta ji that she had been selected from his side.

The actor further said that Sooraj wanted her to meet his father, Raj Kumar Barjatya, as part of the next step in the process. At that point, she genuinely believed she was on track to become the film's leading lady.

The Call That Never Came

Upasana revealed that the promised follow-up never happened. Days turned into weeks, and eventually the film moved ahead without her involvement.

She recalled feeling confused and disappointed because she had been told she was selected. She never received a proper explanation.

Upasana later realized she was no longer part of the project as the production progressed. She admitted that the experience felt insulting.

She also revealed that people around her were unaware that she had been chosen for the film. She preferred to keep the entire episode private.

Why She Avoided Watching The Blockbuster?

When Maine Pyar Kiya released in 1989, it became a massive box-office success and instantly transformed its lead actors into household names.

However, Upasana said she could not bring herself to watch the movie for a long time. The disappointment of missing out on such a life-changing opportunity stayed with her for years.

She explained that every time she thought about the film, she remembered how close she had come to getting the role. Because of that emotional baggage, she chose to stay away from watching it.

A Revelation During Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon Changed Everything

Upasana revealed that Sooraj Barjatya's father publicly mentioned in front of the cast and crew of Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon that she had actually been the first choice for Maine Pyar Kiya.

Initially, she remained calm and did not react. In fact, she was not even expecting her name to come up during the discussion. Although, everyone present was surprised by the revelation and naturally wanted to know why she had not been cast in the film.

The Reason Given For Her Rejection

The conversation eventually led Upasana to directly question Sooraj Barjatya about the decision. According to her, his answer was straightforward that she was taller than Salman Khan.

Upasana was not convinced by that explanation. She remembered telling him, "Even Sridevi is taller than him, but she can work with him? Don't fool me!"

The Comment That Hurt Her Even More

Upasana further claimed that Sooraj Barjatya tried to explain the situation by saying that if she had been cast in Maine Pyar Kiya, she might have eventually left the film industry, similar to how Sridevi stepped away from acting for a period after marriage.The explanation made her feel even worse.

"Bhagyashree Deserved It, But I Deserved It More"

Looking back today, Upasana acknowledged Bhagyashree's performance in the film and praised her work.

At the same time, she admitted that accepting the outcome was difficult.
In one of her most emotional remarks, she said that if she watched the film earlier, she might have unfairly directed her frustration toward Bhagyashree, despite the actress having done an excellent job.

Upasana stated that Bhagyashree deserved the role and performed it beautifully. Although, she claimed that she deserved the opportunity even more than Bhagyashree. She further claimed that Salman Khan was aware of the situation.

The Film That Changed Bollywood Careers Forever

Produced under the Rajshri Films banner and directed by Sooraj Barjatya, Maine Pyar Kiya was released in 1989 and went on to become one of the biggest hits of its time.
The romantic drama featured Salman Khan and Bhagyashree in the lead roles, alongside actors Alok Nath, Mohnish Bahl, Reema Lagoo, Rajeev Verma and Ajit Vachani.

The story followed Prem and Suman as their friendship gradually evolved into love, winning audiences across India and establishing the film as a timeless Bollywood classic.

Sooraj Barjatya successfully presented Salman as Bollywood's new lover boy, a formula that continued to work in later collaborations such as Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Hum Saath-Saath Hain. Even today, Maine Pyar Kiya remains one of the most beloved romantic films in Hindi cinema.