Govinda reveals he declined Avatar role, suggested the film’s name to James Cameron: "He offered me Rs 18 crore for it but..."

Govinda claimed that Cameron had approached him with an offer to play the lead role in Avatar, with a huge remuneration of Rs 18 crore.

Actor Govinda has been in the spotlight recently, not only due to ongoing rumors about his divorce from wife Sunita Ahuja but also because of a surprising revelation. During a guest appearance on Mukesh Khanna’s YouTube show, the Hero No. 1 star shared an interesting anecdote about Hollywood director James Cameron’s blockbuster film, Avatar.

Govinda claimed that Cameron had approached him with an offer to play the lead role in Avatar, with a huge remuneration of Rs 18 crore. Additionally, he mentioned that he had even suggested the title of the film to Cameron. However, despite the lucrative opportunity, the actor ultimately declined the role.

Recalling the episode, he said, "I even left an offer of Rs 21.5 crore, although I remember this because it was painful. I had met a Sardarji in America and gave him a business idea to work in sweets and delicacies. Some years later, he said that the idea worked wonders for him. There, he made me meet James Cameron. He asked me to do a film with James, so I invited them for dinner to discuss about it. I have given the film’s title – Avatar. James told me the hero in the film was handicapped, so I said I am not doing the film."

He shared that he was offered Rs 18 crore for the project, which required a commitment of 410 shooting days. While he was willing to take on the challenge, he expressed concerns about the physical toll, saying that painting his body for the role could land him in the hospital.

Avatar, the groundbreaking sci-fi epic, debuted in 2009 with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in lead roles. Its long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, premiered on December 16, 2022, continuing the visually stunning saga of Pandora.

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Set on the lush alien planet, the film follows the Na’vi, an advanced yet seemingly primitive species. Due to Pandora’s toxic atmosphere, human-Na’vi hybrids, known as Avatars, are created to navigate the world. Former Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is paralyzed, regains mobility through his Avatar and soon finds himself entangled in the Na’vi’s fight for survival as he falls in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).

The much-anticipated Avatar 3 is set for release in 2025, followed by Avatar 4 in 2029 and Avatar 5 in 2031, promising to expand the breathtaking universe even further.