Aamir Khan says Farhan Akhtar was finalised for Sitaare Zameen Par during his break: ‘He was disappointed when I returned’

Farhan Akhtar was chosen for Sitaare Zameen Par when Aamir Khan backed out

One of the most well-known actors in Indian cinema, Aamir Khan, is about to make a comeback with his eagerly anticipated film Sitaare Zameen Par, in which Genelia Deshmukh will also star.

Although interest in the project has been growing steadily, a little-known fact has now surfaced:

Farhan Akhtar was first offered the position. After Laal Singh Chaddha's failure, Khan decided to completely abandon the movie, claiming that he needed a break from acting because he was emotionally spent.

Speaking at the Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Summit, Aamir candidly recalled his decision to opt out of the film, despite having been the original choice for the lead role. “I told Prasanna (director) that I was depressed and hence, I needed a break. Prasanna got a heart attack (laughs) on hearing that. He was very understanding. He said, ‘I understand what you are going through and emotionally, you don’t feel like doing the film. But I request you to produce the film’. I agreed.”

As Aamir stepped back, the filmmakers restructured the project into two versions — one in Hindi starring Farhan Akhtar and another in Tamil with popular star Sivakarthikeyan. “They loved the script and the dates were even worked out," Aamir added.

However, everything changed during the early stages of prep. Known for his deep involvement in every project, Aamir sat in on the script readings. He shared, “On the first day of reading the script, within half an hour, I was like ‘Why am I not doing this film?’ For 7 days, I got that feeling 10 times a day. Then on the seventh day, mere se raha nahin gaya. I told writer Divya and Prasanna that I loved the script. I also said, ‘Now it’s too late. Casting ho chuki hai’. The bullet has been fired from the gun. Prasanna told me, ‘I am from Chennai. We take the bullet which has been fired and put it back in the gun’!”

Moved by Aamir’s renewed passion, director R.S. Prasanna wholeheartedly supported the decision to bring him back into the fold. Aamir personally reached out to both Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan to explain the situation. “He (Prasanna) told me, ‘You are my original choice and as a director, I have been with you for 4 years. Now, when you are feeling like doing it, I can’t let you down’. Badi himmat karke, I spoke to Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan and apologised to them. I honestly told them what had happened. They were disappointed but they understood my point. Farhan said, ‘You have lived with the script for so long’.”

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Aamir Khan, Aparna Purohit, B. Shrinivas Rao, and Ravi Bhagchandka are producing Sitaare Zameen Par, which is now scheduled for a June 20, 2025, theatrical release. The film, which was directed by R.S. Prasanna, is an emotionally significant return for Aamir as a storyteller and an actor.