On the most recent episode of Koffee with Karan, Sharmila Tagore seemed to disclose that she has been diagnosed with cancer. In response to a question regarding why she was unable to participate in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani', directed by Karan Johar, Sharmila stated that at the time she was worried about her health. Karan expressed his sadness at not being able to collaborate with her on the movie, which went on to become a huge box office and critical hit.
The role in question eventually went to Shabana Azmi. In the movie, Shabana has a parallel romance track with Dharmendra's character, and also plays Alia Bhatt's grandma. “I’d offered Sharmila ji the part played by Shabana ji, she was my very first choice. But because of health reasons at that time, she couldn’t say yes. It is a regret I have,” Karan said.
Sharmila explained, “It was at the height of Covid. They hadn’t really grappled with Covid at that time, we were not vaccinated. After my cancer… They didn’t want me to take that risk.” Karan repeated, “It will be a regret, and it is something I hope that we can make up for and work together.” Sharmila returned to acting earlier this year, with a supporting role in the Disney+ Hotstar film 'Gulmohar,' also starring Manoj Bajpayee. Inspired by 'Monsoon Wedding', the drama focused on a wealthy family in New Delhi, and saw Sharmila playing a queer character. She said that she was apprehensive about being ‘accepted’ in the role, especially because it had been so long since her last on-screen appearance. But she was encouraged to see how progressive audiences had become, especially after the streaming age.