Rajkumar Hirani once planned Lala Amarnath biopic with SRK?
What's the story
Aamir Khan is gearing up for his next project, Lalkaar, a cricket drama set during the 1947 Partition and based on the life of cricketer Lala Amarnath. The film will be directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and marks their reunion after Lagaan (2001). Interestingly, before this development, Shah Rukh Khan was also reportedly approached for a similar project on Amarnath's life with filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani at the helm.
Proposal details
Hirani approached SRK after 'Zero' and 'Sanju'
A source told Bollywood Hungama that the proposal was made after the release of SRK's Zero and Hirani's Sanjay Dutt biopic, Sanju. Both films were released in 2018. "This is when Rajkumar Hirani had pitched the idea of a film on Lala Amarnath to the superstar." However, due to unspecified reasons, this project never came to fruition.
New direction
Later, they worked on 'Dunki'
The source added, "However, due to certain reasons, the film never materialized. Meanwhile, COVID-19 may have also played spoilsport." "This is when Rajkumar Hirani suggested making Dunki. Shah Rukh Khan liked the idea and came on board." The film was released on Christmas 2023.
Production details
Hirani will still be connected to 'Lalkaar'
Despite the earlier plans not materializing, Hirani will still have a connection to Lalkaar. He will be credited as the writer of the film along with Abhijat Joshi. The sports flick will reportedly be produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. Khan was last seen in Sitaare Zameen Par, released in 2025.