Mela was one of the last films Twinkle Khanna acted in before leaving Bollywood. She starred opposite Aamir Khan, with Faisal Khan playing a significant role. As the film celebrated its 25th anniversary, director Dharmesh Darshan revealed that Twinkle was not his original choice for the role and he had initially considered Aishwarya Rai for the part.
Dharmesh Darshan mentioned that Aishwarya was his first choice for the role of Memsaab in Raja Hindustani as well but she had to prioritise the Miss World pageant. He wanted an actress fully committed to the film and he praised Aishwarya for her professionalism, noting that she never held any resentment about missing the role.
Dharmesh Darshan also spoke about Aishwarya Rai’s cameo in Mela, commending her for taking on a minor role despite her superstar status and extensive work with major actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. He recalled women expressing surprise that Aishwarya took a smaller role while Twinkle had a significant part.
Released on January 7, 2000, Mela failed at the box office. Directed by Dharmesh Darshan, the film struggled to appeal to audiences with its uneven blend of action, romance and drama. After its failure, Twinkle Khanna who had debuted in 1995 did not return to acting. She once shared on famous talk show Koffee With Karan that she told Akshay Kumar she would marry him only if Mela flopped. Since then, she has become a successful author and often humorously reflects on her film career filled with forgettable roles.
