Aamir Khan NOT In Ashutosh Gowariker's Next? Latter Says, 'Haven't Been Able To Cast' | Exclusive

Ashutosh Gowariker’s last directorial outing, Panipat, was released seven years ago. While away from the director’s chair, he has been keeping himself busy with acting gigs in Kaala Paani, Manvat Murders, Ata Thambaycha Naay, April May 99 and the recently released Prime Video film, System. If reports are to be believed, he’s now ready for his next directorial outing.

Touted to be a biopic on Lala Amarnath, the film is likely to star Aamir Khan, with Farhan Akhtar also in talks to play a pivotal role. Speaking exclusively to News18, Ashutosh, however, reveals he’s yet to zero down on actors for it. “My script is ready but I haven’t been able to cast it. [I’m not getting] the kind of cast that’s required for a story and film of that nature,” he says.

Reacting to his remark, his System co-star Sonakshi Sinha says, “He’s sitting and saying that cast nahi mil raha. Unke baaju mein itne achche actors baithe hai. Zara left mein dekho na, sir (laughs)! Casting nahi ho rahi hai meri.” She, in fact, goes on to reveal that she was locked for a film that was to be directed by Ashutosh but it never materialised.

“I had actually met him long back for a film but it didn’t work out for whatever reason. I genuinely don’t know why it never got made. I’ve been wanting to work with him for so long. He’s such a fine filmmaker and I would love to be a part of his films,” the Lootera and Dahaad actor shares. “I too want to work with Sonakshi and we did chat about working together,” Ashutosh chimes in.

As for his back-to-back acting gigs, Ashutosh remarks that the kind of scripts coming his way today are too enticing to say no to. “This isn’t a break from direction. But coinciding with that is also the sudden number of scripts that have been coming my way, which I’ve liked. When I say ‘liked’, I mean that I felt I could do something interesting with those characters,” he says.

The Jodhaa Akbar and Lagaan director further continues, “The frequency of those has increased a bit now. Earlier, I would keep getting scripts but there wasn’t much I thought I could do justice to. It’s great that this is happening when I have to still make my feature as a director. So, I’m making the most of this period.”

Interestingly, Ashutosh had started his film journey as an actor first, having worked on popular television shows like Kachchi Dhoop, Naam and Shah Rukh Khan’s Circus. His debut as a director with Pehla Nasha (1993) happened about a decade later. He credits his directors for not influencing his process as an actor but also as a filmmaker.

“When I had started out as an actor, most of my work as an actor was about observing the directors I was working with. And somewhere that helped me a lot in actually make my first film,” he tells us. Pehla Nasha had cameo appearances by Aamir, Shah Rukh, Juhi Chawla and Saif Ali Khan as themselves.