It is no secret that Aamir Khan was eager to play the character of Sub-Inspector Shyam Manohar in Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies. The role, however, was ultimately played by Ravi Kishan. During the film’s screening at the Asian World Film Festival, Kiran elaborated on her decision not to cast Aamir, while the actor humorously accused the filmmaker of doubting his acting abilities.
Recounting the experience, Aamir said, “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.”
Kiran shed light on her reasoning for the casting choice, explaining, “Obviously, his screen test was good, and he really wanted to play that role. But I felt that the balance of the film would have tipped a little. Now, everyone knows that the character does a flip in the end, even though he stays kind of grey throughout the film. It shows that he has an empathetic side to him. But with Aamir, you would have expected him to do something like this in the end because he is Aamir Khan.”
Aamir, quick to add his signature humor, quipped, “She didn’t trust me as an actor. She didn’t trust that I would convince the audience that I am a very grey person.”
Initially opening to a lukewarm response, Laapataa Ladies became a sleeper hit as its storyline resonated deeply with audiences. The film was later selected as India’s official entry to Oscars 2025. Produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Kiran Rao, it featured Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Chhaya Kadam, and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles.
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