When Esha Deol was almost 'Basanti' in Rang De Basanti: Screenwriter reveals producers' bizarre misunderstanding

Economic Times

5 hours ago

Agencies Screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey revealed that many Bollywood producers misunderstood Rang De Basanti as a Sholay remake from Basanti's perspective. Some even seriously asked who would play Basanti, prompting Pandey to jokingly name Esha Deol — and they believed him.
Long before Rang De Basanti became the pop-culture juggernaut it is today, with Aamir Khan's DJ rallying a generation against corruption and injustice, the film was doing the rounds in tattered scripts and living out of screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey's bag for six long years. And in those years, it wasn't just a story that evolved — the imagination of Bollywood producers went absolutely rogue.
Appearing on Ravya Sarda's YouTube show, Pandey unspooled the behind-the-scenes saga of Rang De Basanti — a story of missed chances, wrong guesses, and a colossal misunderstanding that might just make you spit out your chai.
For starters, the role of DJ — eventually immortalised by Aamir Khan — wasn't originally meant for him at all. 'We had signed Manoj Bajpayee,' Pandey revealed, explaining that the initial vision was for a modestly budgeted film with strong performances. It was only when Aamir read the script and showed instant interest that things began to change. He not only jumped aboard but brought AR Rahman along with him. Suddenly, UTV — which had rejected the script twice — did a full U-turn and greenlit the film. Sometimes, all it takes is one Aamir and one Rahman.But perhaps the most hilariously bizarre detour came from producers who completely misunderstood the film's concept. 'They thought it was a Sholay remake from Basanti's point of view,' Pandey recalled, barely hiding his exasperation. And the moment you think this can't get any more absurd, it does.
'They would ask, 'Who's playing Basanti?' And I'd reply with a straight face, 'We're thinking of casting Esha Deol.' They would take it seriously!' Pandey said, laughing. 'I didn't know whether to slap them or ignore them.'
Yes, you read that right. In some alternate universe, Rang De Basanti might have been a Basanti-centric drama starring Esha Deol — and no, Hema Malini was not involved. The story of casting mishaps doesn't end there. Randeep Hooda was originally considered for the role of Karan (Bhagat Singh), but he backed out. Why? On a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, Hooda candidly confessed that he didn't want to 'play second fiddle to Aamir.' He also admitted his 'Jaat akad' lost him another major role in Rock On too. That role eventually went to Siddharth, who — alongside Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, and Atul Kulkarni — completed the now-iconic ensemble cast.Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and buoyed by the sheer power of great music, bold writing, and a call for national awakening, Rang De Basanti became more than just a movie. It was a movement. But it also could have easily become a misunderstood Sholay spin-off about Basanti, starring Esha Deol, had producers had their way. Call it serendipity or survival of the fittest script — the film dodged a bullet and gave India one of its most defining cinematic moments. As Pandey puts it, with a mix of bemusement and disbelief, 'I used to say things with a straight face — but the stupidity was anything but straight.'