Throwback: Did you know? Aamir Khan personally visited Hrithik Roshan to convince him to sign Rang De Basanti

In the film industry, someone’s loss always turns out to be someone else’s gain. And several talented actors have faced a point in their career when they rejected a film that went on to become a blockbuster hit or cult classic. Hrithik Roshan too has experienced the same. While we all loved Sidharth’s performance in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti (RDB) but did you know? that role was first offered to Hrithik Roshan! Yes, Aamir Khan had personally tried to convince Hrithik to take up RDB but destiny had some other plans.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra in his recently released biography The Stranger in the Mirror has revealed how he had approached Farhan Akhtar, Abhishek Bachchan for the role of Karan Singhania in his highly ambitious film. The director has even asked Aamir to persuade Hrithik for Karan’s role.

Mehra in his book has chronicled the several hardships he faced while casting as well as making Rang De Basanti (2006). According to a report in News 18, speaking about how every known actor kept refusing the role of Karan Singhania, in his book the director revealed, “Every known actor kept declining the role to play Karan Singhania. I had first offered it to Farhan Akhtar. This was a time when he had never acted in a film before and was one of the most respected young directors. He was both surprised and amused. When I narrated it to Abhishek, he told me point-blank, ‘I thought you are crazy but after hearing your narration I think you are completely nuts.”

 

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A post shared by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (@rakeyshommehra)

Further sharing how he asked Aamir to convince Hrithik for the same role, Mehra revealed, “I requested Aamir to put in a word with Hrithik Roshan. Aamir even went to Hrithik’s house. ‘It’s a good film—kar le’ (do it). But it wasn’t meant to be. Finally, Siddharth signed on the dotted line in January 2005, one month before the shoot.”

 

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A post shared by Hrithik Roshan (@hrithikroshan)

As they say, some things are just predestined. Sidharth’s performance in the film was lauded by the critics and the viewers alike. Rang De Basanti went on to become one of the most important films in each of its casts’ filmography. We wonder if Hrithik regrets not taking up this film.

Also Read: When Aamir Khan was thrown out of Sourav Ganguly’s house by his guards

Pooja Sharma

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