5 actors who can be considered for Rajesh Khanna's biopic
A biopic on yesteryear's megastar Rajesh Khanna is in the works. Actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi has acquired the rights to Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna—a book by film historian Gautam Chintamani—to turn it into a feature film. The film may be helmed by Main Hoon Na director Farah Khan. The makers will reportedly consult Khanna's family before proceeding with the formalities.
"(The book) perfectly encapsulates the man behind the most iconic star our country has seen. There is so much intrigue attached to him. He had a regal personality," opines Dwivedi. While we wait for details, here are our top five choices to lead the biopic.
Rajkummar Rao has taken his own sweet time to establish his reputation. Today, after more than a decade of making a debut, his presence in any film alone guarantees a good, worthy watch. And since Rao's capability to emote in a versatile manner is one of his strongest suits, he should be considered for the biopic. Curiously, his height also matches Khanna's.
Ayushmann Khurrana has essayed a real-life man, but it wasn't technically a biopic. Hawaizaada, a 2015 film, had him playing Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, who had built and flown an unmanned, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1895. But Khanna's biopic would have a much different flavor. After all, he was a sensation and it's high time Khurrana gets to explore the other aspects of his acting chops.
Nani has never done a biopic, but that is not the only reason why he should be considered for this one. His smile somewhat matches with Khanna's and he has also proven his track record as an actor. One of his films, Jersey, has won a National Film Award. Another movie of his, V, became Amazon Prime Video's most-watched Telugu film of this year.
Riddhi Sen is all of 23 but has already won a National Film Award, becoming the youngest actor in the country to win one. His range of films and execution give us enough confidence to pitch his name for this film, which needs a pretty strong performer. The makers don't even need to alter the physical features to fit Sen in, so why not?
Biographies and Pratik Gandhi have become synonymous with each other. His act as Harshad Mehta in 2020's Scam 1992 is still talked about. But, Gandhi is an acclaimed actor and has given superlative performances outside this web series, too. An ace director like Hansal Mehta signing him for multiple projects is proof enough. It's time to give this silent dynamite a chance to explode.
