Bollywood’s beloved Mr Perfectionist, Aamir Khan is celebrating his 61st birthday today. Last year, when the superstar turned 60, he hosted a special celebration where he introduced the media to his new girlfriend Gauri Spratt roughly a year after they began dating. This year, Aamir is busy gearing up for the release of his son Junaid Khan’s next film Ek Din, backed by Aamir Khan Productions. As Aamir celebrates his special day with his loved ones, let’s take a trip down memory lane to the time he auditioned for ex-wife Kiran Rao’s film Laapataa Ladies (2024). Sadly, he was rejected.
In 2024, Kiran Rao introduced the country to Laapataa Ladies, played by Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta, and Sparsh Shrivastava with her award-winning film. The talented newcomers were joined by seasoned actors Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan. One of the biggest highlights of the film was the twist in the end, brought to us by Ravi’s character Shyam Manohar, Sub-Inspector. But before the Bhojpuri superstar joined the team, Aamir Khan auditioned for his character. Aamir did a fab job in the audition tape, shared by Aamir Khan Talkies, as he chewed betel leaf and sat opposite a man who ‘misplaced’ his newlywedded wife on a train. Take a look:
But why was Aamir rejected? Later during a discussion at the Asian World Film Festival, the actor and producer shared, “I tried to play a character in the film; she (Kiran) didn’t let me. I wanted to play the cop and even did a screen test for it, but I was rejected. I was really keen on playing that role, but Kiran and I discussed it. I think my screen test was very good, but we decided to go with Ravi Kishan. Both of us took that decision.”
When the audition tape first released on social media, a fan gushed, “No other Indian film star, minor or major, would release a failed audition tape. They would all drown in their own ego. This is why I love Aamir Khan. It’s not about what his films do at the BO, it’s his passion for cinema and storytelling that makes him stand out,” whereas another pointed out, “With aamir we would’ve predicted he will save the day at the end. But Ravi bought this ambiguity to the character that no one knows on whose side this character will lean on.” Another internet user stated, “Amir is very self aware and in terms of his acting very honest. That is what we all like about him. He will accept where he went wrong and let the better one take over.” The comment further read, “When it comes to his work ..he is very serious guy. Glad he opted out.”
While Aamir was not a part of Laapataa Ladies onscreen, he did back the film as the producer. Here’s wishing the superstar a very happy birthday!
