Prahlad Kakkar Says Bollywood Abandoned Aishwarya Rai After Her Breakup With Salman Khan

Ad guru claims the emotional injury of being sided against by the film industry was worse than the split itself, describing Salman’s “obsessive” behaviour and its aftermath.

Renowned ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar has opened up about the fallout of Aishwarya Rai’s much-publicised breakup with Salman Khan in 2002, saying her deepest wound came not from the breakup alone, but from the way the Bollywood industry turned its back on her.

Kakkar, who used to live in the same building as Aishwarya’s mother (and where Aishwarya lived before her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan), has known the actress since her early pageant days.

In a recent interview, he described how Salman’s behaviour toward Aishwarya had been “very physical” and “obsessive.” He even recalled witnessing emotional outbursts — “he used to make scenes in the foyer” and “bang his head on the wall.”

While Kakkar says the breakup itself came after a long period of strain and was, in many ways, a relief, what hurt Aishwarya more was the sense of betrayal she felt from the film fraternity. According to him, almost everyone sided with Salman; Aishwarya felt abandoned by people she thought would stand by her.

Kakkar believes this sense of betrayal left a lasting impact: Aishwarya’s trust in the industry was shaken, and it affected her willingness to take as many projects or be as visible as before.