Did you know 'Taare Zameen Par' was supposed to star Akshaye Khanna instead of Aamir Khan?

Bollywood's Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan has delivered several hits in his decades-long career. However, there's one project that he has often touted to be closer to his heart. Khan's 2007 offering, Taare Zameen Par, has managed to stay with the audience for over 15 years. 

But did you know, the film initially had to star Khan's Dil Chahta Hai co-star, Akshaye Khanna as the popular Nikumbh Sir? Khanna, in an earlier interview, had shared how the director of the film, Amole Gupte wanted to offer Taare Zameen Par to him. Since he didn’t know the Hulchul actor, he asked Khan to introduce him. 

However, the Laal Singh Chaddha star said he wanted narration before he told the Drishyam 2 star about it. “Aamir being Aamir, told him I cannot recommend a script unless I hear it first. So make me hear it, if I will like it, I will tell Akshaye,” Khanna narrated to Mid-Day. “But he (Aamir) liked it so much, that he did it,” the actor added.

However, Khanna had no qualms about Khan taking away the film from him. When the Dangal star met the former he told him about what he has done, but the latter told him, “It’s okay. No problem.” Khanna also felt that he could not have done as much justice to the role as Khan did. He added, “I don’t think I could have done a better job than Aamir. He was superb. So it was good that destiny kind of took him.”

Recently, while promoting Laal Singh Chaddha, Khan had shared how he finds his performance as Nikumbh sir in Taare Zameen Par as one of his finest performances. In a promotional video, he said, “My own work, which I have liked of myself, is probably, I would say Taare Zameen Par. The character of Nikumbh sir. I find less flaws in that performance of mine.”

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