In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood we often see on-screen pairings that not only create magic but also blur the line between reel and real life with their sizzling chemistry. But not every pairing manages to cast its magic. Sometimes even the most celebrated stars fail to make a mark together and dont strike the right chord with the audience. One such similar tale is of the blue-eyed beauty of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai. Aishwarya Rai and Sanjay Dutts intimate scenes There was a time when Aishwarya Rai was at the peak of her stardom known not just for her ethereal beauty but also for her impeccable performances opposite the biggest names in Bollywood from Salman Khan to Shah Rukh Khan. But in 2005 she took a bold step when she starred opposite an actor who was 14 years older than her. The actor was none other than Sanjay Dutt and the film was Shabd. While the film made headlines for its intimate scenes and daring storyline it couldnt deliver as expected. Shabd budget and review The film was directed by Leena Yadav and was made on a staggering budget of Rs 10 crores. The plot of the film centred around love obsession and reality where Aishwarya played the muse to a troubled writer portrayed by Sanjay Dutt.  But despite the impeccable star cast and its intriguing concept the film couldn’t live up to expectations. Audiences found their chemistry off and the bold scenes that were meant to grab attention couldnt do much to save it either. How much did Shabd earn? While critics called Shabd “ahead of its time” the box office numbers showed the reports otherwise. The film managed to recover only half its cost leaving the makers with massive losses worth several crores. However this wasn’t the first time the duo shared screen space; they had previously appeared together in Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi in 2002 alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn. The story of Shabd shows that sometimes a star-studded cast and intimate scenes also cannot save a film if the audience cannot relate to the story. Story Highlights Aishwarya Rai starred opposite Sanjay Dutt 14 years her senior in Shabd (2005). The film featured several intimate scenes that sparked discussion but failed to impress audiences. Made on a ₹10 crore budget it recovered barely half and resulted in huge losses. Despite its failure Shabd remains one of Aishwarya’s boldest career choices.