Before Vidya Balan, these two actresses were first considered to play Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa

In 2007, Bollywood scored a major blockbuster with Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The physiological horror comedy was the official remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, and it popularised the horror-comedy genre in Bollywood. 

Priyadarshan-directed Bhool Bhulaiyaa was an ensemble entertainer staring Akshay with Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Paresh Rawal, Ameesha Patel, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi and others. In the film, Vidya played the dual role of Avni and the main antagonist Manjulika. 

Vidya's performance as Manjulika won praise from the critics and the masses, and her performance is still regarded as one of the best roles of her career. Even though Tabu did her best as Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, many fans of the franchise missed Vidya's Manjulika. It is a surprise to know that Vidya wasn't the first choice for Manjulika. 

Bhool Bhulaiyaa was first offered to...

Aishwarya Rai. As per the media reports, Aishwarya was approached to play the dual role of Avni/Manjulika. However, the actress was reportedly unsure about playing a ghost. Thus, she rejected the film. After Aishwarya Rai, the makers reportedly approached Rani Mukerji for Avni/Manjulika for reasons unknown to her. 

The success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa inspired the makers for a sequel. In 2022, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was released with Kartik Aaryan replacing Akshay Kumar as the main lead. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was a bigger hit than its prequel. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was released theatrically worldwide on May 20, 2022. The film earned Rs 266.88 crore worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022. 

After the blockbuster run of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the makers have announced Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 with director Anees Bazmee and Kartik Aaryan reprising his role of Rooh Baba. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 is slated for Diwali 2024 release.