Aamir Khan recently revealed that Farhan Akhtar was initially considered for the lead role in his upcoming film, "Sitaare Zameen Par." Speaking at the Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Summit and Awards 2025, Khan shared the behind-the-scenes story of how the casting evolved.

According to Aamir Khan, there was a period when he almost backed out of "Sitaare Zameen Par" due to feeling "depressed" and needing a break. He conveyed this to director R.S. Prasanna, who, while initially shocked, was understanding and requested Khan to stay on as the producer. It was during this time that the team considered alternative casting options.

Khan explained, "At that time, we had decided to make two versions – one in Hindi with Farhan Akhtar while Sivakarthikeyan was going to do the Tamil version. They loved the script and the dates were even worked out." This indicates that Farhan Akhtar was seriously considered and was even on board for the Hindi adaptation of the film.

However, Aamir Khan's feelings towards the project soon changed. He recalled, "Before going to prep, I always sit with the writer and director for a week or two to go through the script in detail. On the first day of reading the script, within half an hour, I was like 'Why am I not doing this film?' For 7 days, I got that feeling 10 times a day. Then on the seventh day, mere se raha nahin gaya. I told writer Divya and Prasanna that I loved the script. I also said, 'Now it's too late. Casting ho chuki hai'."

Director R.S. Prasanna, however, was keen on having Aamir Khan as the lead. Khan recounted Prasanna's response: "Prasanna told me, 'I am from Chennai. We take the bullet which has been fired and put it back in the gun!' He told me, 'You are my original choice and as a director, I have been with you for 4 years. Now, when you are feeling like doing it, I can't let you down'."

This led to Aamir Khan having to approach both Farhan Akhtar and Sivakarthikeyan to explain the situation. "Badi himmat karke, I spoke to Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan and apologized to them. I honestly told them what had happened. They were disappointed but they understood my point," Khan revealed.

"Sitaare Zameen Par" is a remake of the Spanish film "Campeones." Aamir Khan has stated that "Sitaare Zameen Par" is "10 steps ahead" of "Taare Zameen Par". Unlike "Taare Zameen Par," where he helped Darsheel Safary’s character, in "Sitaare Zameen Par," nine people with their own problems will be helping him. The film is scheduled to be released on June 20, 2025.