Aamir Khan reveals Deepika Padukone, Sharaddha Kapoor, Alia Bhatt rejected Thugs of Hindustan

He further explained that he didn’t believe in blurring professional and personal lines, pointing out that he was neither Fatima's real-life father nor her boyfriend.

Aamir Khan recently opened up casting challenges faced during the making of Thugs of Hindostan. He revealed that top actresses turned down the film. In a candid statement, Aamir also said that the makers did not want him to cast opposite Fatima Sana Sheikh.

In conversation with Lallantop, Aamir Khan revealed behind the scenes information about the casting and revealed none of the actresses were ready to do film. “When we were casting, no heroines agreed to the film. Deepika said no, Alia was a no, and Shraddha also said no."

He further added, “Ultimately, Victor (Vijay Krishna Acharya) went with Fatima. However, Aditya Chopra and Victor conveyed that her test was good, but made it clear she won’t be made my pair because I played her father in Dangal, the audience might not accept."

He further explained that he didn’t believe in blurring professional and personal lines, pointing out that he was neither Fatima's real-life father nor her boyfriend. Emphasizing their roles as actors, he questioned the tendency to underestimate the audience’s ability to distinguish between real and reel life.

In a previous Aamir Khan addressed the failure of Thugs of Hindostan during his conversation on Raj Shamani’s podcast. "Mujhe bhi Thugs of Hindostan pasand nahi thi. Aaj main khulke bol sakta hoon — Aditya Chopra (producer) se maine bohot koshish ki unko… Jab film release ho rahi thi, main khud hi khush nahi tha (I didn’t like Thugs of Hindostan either. Today, I can openly say it — I tried really hard with Aditya Chopra (the producer)... When the film was about to release, even I wasn’t happy with it)."

Aamir also revealed that his ex-wife Kiran Rao is well aware of his anxiety before a movie comes out, and that he frequently experiences two months of insomnia as his mind races during that time.

Also read: Aamir Khan reveals friends Juhi Chawla, Salman Khan extended emotional support after divorce with first wife Reena Dutta: "Main depression se guzar raha tha"

Thugs of Hindostan, which featured Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, and Fatima Sana Shaikh in key roles alongside Aamir Khan, struggled at the box office. Despite its star-studded cast and massive scale, the film only managed to slightly surpass its reported budget of Rs 310 crore, earning a worldwide gross of around Rs 335 crore.

Aamir was last seen in his latest release Sitaare Zameen Par which hit the theatres on June 20, 2025. The film performed well at the box office in its first week as is has grossed more that Rs 100 crore in India.