Former ad film director Prahlad Kakkar, who worked with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan during her modeling days, had previously mulled over the actor’s much-publicised split from Salman Khan. In a 2025 interview, he claimed that while the breakup itself brought her comfort, what hurt her most was the feeling of being abandoned by the film industry, which she believed had rallied behind Salman.Kakkar recalled standing next to Aishwarya during that stage. According to him, trust in the industry was lost after the relationship ended.“I was just supporting her. I told her, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She said, “But the industry…” Her biggest disservice was giving up the industry for Salman. I really felt it; I felt so betrayed. “The breakup was actually a big relief in the end,” he said in an interview with Vicky Lalwani. He further claimed that Aishwarya’s disappointment stemmed less from the end of the relationship and more from how she thought the industry was reacting to her.“She wasn’t upset about the breakup. She was upset because everyone was on Salman’s side and not on her side. The truth was on her side. She didn’t trust the industry anymore because it wasn’t fair. I can understand if she was wrong and the other side was right, or if both sides were treated equally.”
But nothing, it was completely one-sided,” Kakkar added.Kakkar also made claims about Salman’s behavior during that period, alleging that the actor was “very physical and obsessive” and asking: “How do you deal with someone like that?”However, he clarified that Aishwarya never discussed the matter with him directly. Instead, he said his observations came from living in the same building as the former couple.“No, I knew that because I lived in the same building. He was doing scenes in the hallway and banging his head against the wall. The relationship ended long before it officially ended. It was a relief to everyone — her parents, her, the whole world.”Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai reportedly ended their relationship in 2002 and never collaborated on a film again. Years later, in a 2012 interview with
Simi Garewal
Aishwarya briefly addressed the breakup but chose not to go into detail about it publicly.“I think I’ve completely shut it down. I guess I don’t want to look at it in any way especially on a public platform. I really don’t want to.”
