Tabu and Amitabh Bachchan shared the screen in R. Balki’s Cheeni Kum in 2007, and now filmmaker Ravi Chopra’s wife, Renu Chopra, has revealed an unknown fact — the duo were initially set to share the screen in the 2003 family drama Baghban, but Tabu’s role as Amitabh’s on-screen wife eventually went to Hema Malini.
In an interview with Pinkvilla, Renu Chopra shared that Tabu was deeply moved by the script of Baghban but ultimately turned down the role. “She cried and all that. She loved the script. I thought she was definitely going to say yes to the film. Somebody was sitting with me, and she said, ‘When Tabu cries while listening to the script of a film, she never does that film,’” Renu recalled.

At the time, Tabu was 36 and Bachchan was 65. Despite her emotional reaction to the story, Tabu had her reservations. When Renu directly asked the actress about her decision, Tabu shared that she liked the story but did not want to play the mother of four children. “‘My whole career is ahead of me, so Ravi ji, mujh maaf kardo (Ravi ji, please forgive me),’” Renu quoted Tabu.
Interestingly, the actress later faced criticism from her own family for her decision. Two years after the film’s release, Tabu watched it with her family in Hyderabad. She went with her aunt and uncle and told them that the movie had been offered to her, but she had refused. “Her aunt reprimanded her, saying, ‘Ye chappal nikalke tumhare sir pe marungi. Why did you say no to this film? (I will beat you with a slipper),” Renu added.
Though Tabu stepped away from the project, ‘Baghban’ became a box office success despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. Directed by Ravi Chopra, the film struck a chord with audiences for its emotional narrative.