Sneha Ullal made a notable debut in Bollywood when she starred opposite Salman Khan in Lucky: No Time for Love, directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. What made her entry particularly eye-catching was her uncanny resemblance to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. This striking similarity quickly turned her into a media sensation, earning her the tag of Aishwarya Rai’s lookalike. However, while it brought her immense attention, it also brought heavy comparisons that ultimately overshadowed her brief acting career.
Despite the buzz, the filmmakers recently clarified that casting Sneha Ullal was not a calculated move to imitate Aishwarya Rai. The timing of the film’s release — closely following widespread speculation about Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s breakup — only added fuel to the fire. In reality, Sneha’s selection stemmed from a casual recommendation.
“It wasn’t a strategy. We wanted to cast a newcomer, and Arpita (Khan, Salman’s sister) said that there is a very pretty girl at her college, and asked if we’d want to audition her. The role was of a schoolgirl whose parents are working in an embassy. She needed to have the vibe of someone who has lived in Europe. She suited the role,” said the directors.
Though the resemblance to Aishwarya became a talking point during the film’s promotions, the directors insisted that it wasn’t the basis of their casting decision. As the comparisons grew louder, the filmmakers acknowledged they couldn’t entirely ignore them — even if they never intended to capitalize on them.
Radhika remarked, “We would notice a resemblance sometimes while shooting, but there are so many people who look like others. We never thought that the similarity was all that striking, but when the campaign started and people started pointing it out, that’s when we noticed. It would be a lie to say that we didn’t think about it, but we it wasn’t a big deal. It’s a good thing to be compared to Aishwarya!”
Sneha Ullal’s story reflects how public perception can sometimes overshadow an actor’s own merit, especially when resemblance blurs into recall and comparisons eclipse performance.
