Aamir Khan recalls his decision to reject The Legend of Bhagat Singh: “I told Rajkumar Santoshi to cast some young boy in his early twenties” : Bollywood News

Despite his illustrious career, Aamir Khan has surprisingly yet to receive a National Award for Best Actor. One notable instance where he could have clinched this prestigious honour was his decision to decline the role of Bhagat Singh in the 2002 film, The Legend of Bhagat Singh.

Aamir Khan recalls his decision to reject The Legend of Bhagat Singh: “I told Rajkumar Santoshi to cast some young boy in his early twenties”

In a season 1 appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Khan explained his reasoning behind this choice. He emphasized the significance of portraying Bhagat Singh authentically, particularly given the historical figure's youthful age and extraordinary courage. Khan felt that at 40, he would not be able to capture the same essence of a young man making such profound statements.

"Bhagat Singh ji is a very important historical figure. He was a unique human being. What he did at the age of 22-23, we can’t even think about it. His courage. He was fearless. That’s a very rare quality. Its beauty was that you see a young 23-year-old on the witness stand, whose moustache has not sprouted, making such big statements. If I stood there, I was already turning 40 at the time, it wouldn’t have looked good. That quality of a young guy saying such things won’t come to me. I told Raj (Rajkumar Santoshi) to cast some young boy in his early twenties. That is Bhagat Singh. That's why I didn't do it,” Khan said.

Khan's suggestion to cast a younger actor was ultimately disregarded by director Rajkumar Santoshi, who instead offered the role to Ajay Devgn. Devgn's performance in the film was widely acclaimed, earning him the National Film Award for Best Actor.

On the work front, Aamir Khan will next star in Sitaare Zameen Par, scheduled for Christmas 2024 release.