Why Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor Khan won't pair opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Salute

As the film industry celebrates the empowerment of female actors and the success of female-led films like Hichki, Veere Di Wedding and Raazi, bad news isn’t far behind. According to the latest reports, the role of the female lead in Salute is being pruned because no major actress is willing to play the part.

For those who’ve come in late, Salute is a biopic of astronaut Rakesh Sharma being made by director Mahesh. Aamir Khan was supposed to play the lead role. But he has opted out of the project and been replaced by Shah Rukh Khan.

Now, the filmmakers are having a hard time casting an actress to play the astronaut’s wife. Apparently, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor Khan were approached, but they both felt that the protagonist’s role would overshadow theirs, and so they turned the project down.

It is believed that the leading lady’s part is being cut down so that it may be offered to a less prominent actress or a debutante. They’re basically saying, “Why invest so much time, energy and money into getting an A-list heroine when Shah Rukh Khan is going to be the focus of the film?”

So much for women’s empowerment.