How Aamir Khan Replaced Manoj Bajpayee In Rang De Basanti
New Delhi:
Rang De Basanti screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey recently revealed that Manoj Bajpayee was cast in Aamir Khan's role as Daljeet 'DJ' in Rang De Basanti.
In an exclusive conversation with Ravya Sarda on her YouTube show, the screenwriter revealed the many challenges faced in the making of the film. He also spoke about the casting changes that eventually led to Rang De Basanti becoming a big film.
What's Happening
New revelations have surfaced online, where Rang De Basanti screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey spoke about the sudden change in the casting of Rang De Basanti.
He told Ravya Sarda on her YouTube show, "We had been roaming around with the script of the film for 6 years, and no one was ready to make that film. We had signed Manoj for the role that Aamir played finally. We thought we would make a small film; we didn't have a big budget. The moment Aamir heard the script, he told us that he wanted to do the film, and he even got AR Rahman to come on the project. UTV, who had rejected the film twice in the past, immediately said yes to it."
Speaking about how the flashback and current scenarios in the film's screenplay initially confused the producers, Kamlesh Pandey added, "Producers thought that this was a Sholay remake from the point of view of Basanti. They used to make fun of it and ask who was going to play her, and I used to tell them with a straight face that we were thinking of casting Esha Deol. They used to take it so seriously, and I didn't really know whether to slap these people or ignore them."
Earlier on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, Randeep Hooda had also spoken about how he lost his role as Karan R Singhania (later played by Siddharth) because he did not want to play second fiddle to Aamir Khan.
About Rang De Basanti
The plot of the film revolves around a gang of friends who graduate from Delhi University, but hang around in their old campus. Their paths cross with British filmmaker (Alice Patten), who plans to cast them in a film inspired by the sacrifices of Indian freedom fighters under British rule.
In the beginning, the group of friends are largely apolitical, but when they lose a dear friend due to local government corruption, the patriotism in them comes to life. The story then unravels to showcase how they avenge the death of their friend.
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