Akshaye Khanna says Taare Zameen Par director wanted to cast him but Aamir Khan took it: ‘Aamir being Aamir…’

Aamir Khan made his directorial debut with the 2007 film Taare Zameen Par. The film was appreciated so much that it was India’s official entry to the Oscars. But it was a film that never belonged to Aamir since filmmaker Amol Gupte had Akshaye Khanna in his mind for the role of art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh.
Khanna, in an earlier interview, had shared how Gupte wanted to offer Taare Zameen Par to him. Since he didn’t know Akshaye, he asked Aamir to introduce him. However, Aamir said he wanted a narration before he tells Akshaye about it. “Aamir being Aamir, told him I cannot recommend a script unless I hear it first. So make me hear it, if I will like it, I will tell Akshaye,” the Dil Chahta Hai narrated to Mid-Day. “But he (Aamir) liked it so much, that he did it,” the actor added.

However, Khanna had no qualms about Aamir taking away the film from him. When Aamir met Khanna he told him about what he has done, but the latter told him, “It’s ok. No problem.” He also felt that he could not have done as much justice to the role as Aamir did. He added, “I don’t think I could have done a better job than Aamir. He was superb. So it was good that destiny kind of took him.”
Darsheel Safary and Aamir Khan in the poster of Taare Zameen Par.
Taare Zameen Par was based on a child named Ishaan Awasthi, who suffered from dyslexia. His parents and teachers failed to understand him and the perpetual scoldings and insults drove him into depression. It was only an art teacher named Ram Laxman Nikumbh, who took up the responsibility of tutoring him.

Recently, while promoting Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir had shared how he finds his performance as Nikumbh sir in Taare Zameen Par as one of his finest performances. In a promotional video, he said, “My own work, which I have liked of myself, is probably, I would say Taare Zameen Par. The character of Nikumbh sir. I find less flaws in that performance of mine.”