Taare Zameen Par is one of the iconic family entertainers, directed and produced by Aamir Khan. But did you know that the part was initially written for Akshaye Khanna and not Aamir? In a past interview, Khanna recalled how Aamir had read the film’s script before him and ended up leading the show.

When Aamir Khan ditched Akshaye Khanna for Taare Zameen Par

In an old interview with Mid-Day India, Akshaye Khanna hilariously recalled being ‘cheated’ by Aamir Khan for Taare Zameen Par. During the chat when the host asked Khanna if Taare Zameen Par writer Amole Gupte approach him to play the lead role in the film, Akshaye responded with a quick ‘no’.

The Dhurandhar star went on to narrate that Amole approached Aamir Khan, saying that he didn’t know Akshaye, but he wanted to narrate a story to him. “I don’t know him; you just worked with Akshaye on Dil Chahta Hai. Can you call him and tell him I want to narrate a script?” Gupte told Khan.

In response to this favor, Khan said that he can’t recommend the script unless he hears it first. So, the writer went on to narrate his story to the Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood. The script instantly hit a chord with Khan who didn’t want to let it go. “He liked it so much that he ended up doing it,” shared Khanna.

Later, when he met with Aamir at one of the film studios, Khan admittingly told entire incident to Khanna. “I didn’t allow him to come to you; I did the movie myself,” the Lagaan actor told Akshaye, who responded with “Okay, no problem.”

To refresh your memory, Aamir not just led the film, he also made his directorial debut with it. The 2007 psychological drama film ended up becoming a mega blockbuster and won multiple accolades, including three National Film Awards.

On the work front, Akshaye Khanna will be next seen in Dhurandhar 2, which is set to release in theatres on March 19, 2026. As for Aamir, he will be making a cameo in his production venture, Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos.

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