Ranveer Singh – Don 3

Ranveer reportedly exited Don 3 as he was unhappy with the script, while there were also reports claiming that Farhan was not fully concentrating on the project as he was busy producing other ventures.

Kiara Advani – Don 3

Kiara Advani exited Don 3 due to pregnancy, focusing on motherhood before returning to Bollywood projects in 2026.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Chalte Chalte

Aishwarya was the original choice opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Chalte Chalte. In fact, she had even begun shooting. But after reported on-set interruptions involving her then-boyfriend Salman Khan, the makers replaced her with Rani Mukerji.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Heroine

Madhur Bhandarkar had already begun work on Heroine with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan before she stepped away due to pregnancy. Kareena Kapoor Khan later took over the lead role.

Kareena Kapoor Khan – Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Kareena Kapoor was originally cast as Leela in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) but walked out of the project just days before filming began. She opted to do Gori Tere Pyaar Mein instead and was subsequently replaced by Deepika Padukone.

Kareena Kapoor Khan – Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

Kareena shot a few scenes before walking out of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai due to creative disagreements between her mother Babita and director Rakesh Roshan. Amisha Patel stepped in and became an overnight sensation.

Kartik Aaryan – Dostana 2

Kartik Aaryan was ousted from Dharma Productions' Dostana 2 in April 2021 due to an alleged clash with producer Karan Johar. Following the unceremonious exit—which took place after the actor had already shot for 20 days—reports cited unprofessional behavior.

Rekha – Fitoor

Rekha was originally cast to play the character of Begum Hazrat in Fitoor and even shot some parts of the film. But reportedly unhappy with her look and character portrayal, Rekha chose to walk out. Tabu was then roped in as her replacement.

Shraddha Kapoor – Saina Biopic

Shraddha Kapoor was originally cast to play badminton star Saina Nehwal in the 2021 biographical film Saina. She underwent extensive training but had to step down from the project after contracting dengue, which led to her being replaced by Parineeti Chopra.

Akshay Kumar – Barsaat

Akshay Kumar was attached to the romantic drama before Bobby Deol eventually came onboard opposite Priyanka Chopra.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas – Bharat

Priyanka Chopra, who had happily announced her big Bollywood comeback with Salman Khan starrer Bharat, opted out of the film as she was engaged and getting married to Nick Jonas.

Armaan Kohli – Deewana

Armaan Kohli exited during production and Shah Rukh Khan stepped into the film. “Deewana” became a major success and marked the beginning of SRK’s rise as a film star.

Salman Khan – Inshallah

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly anticipated romantic drama Inshallah, which was slated to star Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt, was officially shelved in August 2019 due to creative differences and financial disagreements.