Former ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar, with whom he worked Aishwarya Rai Bachchan during her modeling days, she had previously reflected on the actor’s highly publicized split salman khan. In a 2025 interview, she stated that while the break-up itself brought her relief, what hurt her the most was feeling abandoned by the film industry, which she believed had rallied behind Salman.Kakkar recalled being by Aishwarya’s side during this phase. According to him, he had lost faith in the industry after the relationship ended.“I just supported her. I told her, ‘Don’t worry’. She said, ‘But the industry…’ Her biggest pain was being abandoned by the industry for Salman. She really felt it; she felt so betrayed. The break-up, in fact, was a big relief in the end,” she had said, in an interview with Vickey Lalwani. He further stated that Aishwarya’s disappointment stemmed less from the end of the relationship and more from how he felt the industry reacted to it.“She wasn’t upset about the breakup. She was upset that everyone was siding with Salman and not hers. The truth was on her side. She no longer trusted the industry because it wasn’t playing fair. She could 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 this period, claiming 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 because she lived in the same building. He used to make scenes in the lobby and bang his head against the wall. The relationship was over long before it was officially over. It was a relief for everyone: her parents, her, the whole world,” she shared.Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai They reportedly ended their relationship in 2002 and never collaborated on a film again. Years later, in a 2012 interview with Simi GarewalAishwarya briefly addressed the breakup, but chose not to elaborate on it publicly.“I think I’ve put it aside. I don’t think I would want to look at it in any way and especially on a public platform. I really wouldn’t want to.”