Not Ranbir Kapoor, John Abraham was supposed to star in 'Rockstar'

Meanwhile, Imtiaz Ali had offered Ranbir a film on marketing

One of Ranbir Kapoor's most acclaimed performances is in the film Rockstar, but few people know that the role was initially offered to John Abraham. Ranbir recently disclosed this information during a virtual fan interaction, sharing that when director Imtiaz Ali initially met with him for a film, it wasn't Rockstar but a movie about marketing.

Ranbir remembered hearing that John was supposed to play the lead in Rockstar before it got shelved for unknown reasons. When Ranbir reminded Imtiaz about Rockstar, he learnt that the writer of the story wanted to direct and act in it himself, leading to its cancellation.

After three months, Imtiaz reached out to Ranbir again, informing him that he had spoken to the writer of Rockstar, and that's how the project came to fruition. In a 2011 interview with Hindustan Times, Imtiaz mentioned that he had replaced John with Ranbir because his new version of the protagonist was a much younger character.

"When I took up the film again after the first attempt, I changed the character. I had started off with John, but now, as the story has changed, he was not required. The protagonist is now a Jat from Delhi, and much younger than the previous character," he said.

Rockstar's story credit was shared with Muazzam Beg, and Imtiaz revealed that his refurbished version of the script did not include much of Beg's version. "There is only one point of his story that’s been used this time, and he will be given a much bigger credit than he deserves," he said.

Ranbir's portrayal of Jordan, the aspiring musician, was a critical and commercial success. The film's music, composed by AR Rahman, was also highly praised. Imtiaz, who is known for his realistic and unconventional love stories, has worked with Ranbir in other successful films, including Tamasha and Jab We Met.

Despite the film's initial setbacks, Rockstar ultimately proved to be a defining moment in Ranbir's career. His performance in the film earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and he continues to be considered one of the most versatile actors in the industry.

Rockstar also starred Nargis Fakhri.

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