Vidya Balan reveals how Akshaye Khanna once ‘fired’ her. Actress asked John Abraham to 'save' her

Sometimes, even the most seasoned stars have awkward beginnings, and Vidya Balan’s journey is full of charming, funny missteps. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, the acclaimed actress recalled one such light-hearted incident from her early days, involving co-star Akshaye Khanna and a moment of rookie panic that led her to seek rescue from none other than John Abraham.

Vidya shared that she had once turned down a film opposite Akshaye Khanna because she didn’t connect with the script, but felt too nervous to decline it herself. Instead, she asked her manager to do it on her behalf. The awkwardness came full circle when the two later met on the sets of Salaam-e-Ishq. “Akshaye fired me,” Vidya said, for rejecting his script. She admits running to her co-star, John Abraham and said, ‘Please save me!’ She also added that she was new and didn’t want a confrontation. It was only later that she realised that Akshaye was only teasing her.

When Vidya and Akshaye shared screen space

The two eventually worked together in Salaam-e-Ishq, a romantic drama directed by Nikkhil Advani. The 2007 film is an unofficial adaptation of Love Actually, and features six interwoven love stories played out by a star-studded ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, and others.

Vidya Balan’s journey so far

From her early days on the sitcom Hum Paanch to making a powerful Hindi film debut with Parineeta, Vidya Balan has built a stellar reputation for choosing strong, meaningful roles. Known for hits like Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Kahaani, and The Dirty Picture, she is celebrated for portraying layered female characters in mainstream cinema. After a brief hiatus, she made a successful comeback with Tumhari Sulu and Mission Mangal. Most recently, she was seen in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.