Did you know? Akshaye Khanna almost played the iconic role of Akash Malhotra in 'Dil Chahta Hai'

Dil Chahta Hai

In a recent interview with Faye D'Souza, Don director Farhan Akhtar shared that Aamir Khan's role as Akash Malhotra was originally offered to Akshaye Khanna. He also mentioned how Akshaye stepped aside for the sake of the movie.

Akshaye Khanna almost played Aamir Khan's role in 'Dil Chahta Hai'

Farhan Akhtar recounted, "I have experienced true grace from Akshaye Khanna. When I met him for Dil Chahta Hai, I had offered him the role of Akash, which Aamir ended up doing… When I approached Akshaye at that point, I wanted to cast two other younger actors, so I went to Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan, who were just one film old at that time. But they had other plans, and that didn't happen, so I had to go for the slightly older generation of actors for Dil Chahta Hai."

Farhan said, "After dar dar ki thokrein khake, I showed the script to Aamir. He told me that since he had done a couple of serious roles, he wanted to play the role of Akash… Akshaye calmly told me that he loved the film and knew it had to be made. He said, ‘I will play that part.' It's rare to come across actors who let go of roles so gracefully."

About Farhan Akhtar

Farhan Akhtar is one of the few personalities who has proved his talent as an actor, writer, director and singer. Farhan has always chosen those scripts which can resonate profoundly with the audiences.

The happy news for the fans is that after 'Toofan', Farhan is again returning on the big screens. In a recent interview he revealed, "I am starting a film in July as an actor and I want to focus on that only".

Beyond his acting prowess, Farhan Akhtar has also made significant contributions behind the camera. As a director, he has helmed critically acclaimed films such as 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Don', and 'Don 2', showcasing his versatility and storytelling avatar. And now he and Riteish Sidhwani's production house Excel Entertainment is gearing up with the ambitious project of 'Don 3' starring Ranveer Singh.

After announcing Ranveer as the new Don, Akhtar defended the decision to cast the 'Bajirao Mastani' actor. In a dialogue with BBC Asian Network, Farhan Akhtar discussed the decision to cast Ranveer as the new Don. He shared that Ranveer, just like Akhtar himself, experienced a mix of excitement and anxiety when stepping into the shoes previously filled by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Farhan's sentiment echoed the situation when Shah Rukh Khan had succeeded Amitabh Bachchan in the role, which also sparked a similar initial skepticism.