Aamir Khan Says He Had No Issues Romancing Fatima Sana Shaikh On-Screen Despite ‘Dangal’ Father-Daughter Bond

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, known for his sharp script sense, recently opened up about the problems that plagued the making of Thugs of Hindostan, one of the biggest budget films in Hindi cinema that failed to resonate with audiences despite its grand scale and popular cast.

Struggles in Casting the Female Lead

In an interview with The Lallantop, Aamir candidly spoke about how difficult it was to lock the female lead for the film.

Several top actresses, including Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, and Shraddha Kapoor, were approached for the role but all of them declined.

“No one said yes to the part. That film was offered to the entire industry,” Aamir admitted. He also suggested that the script might have contributed to their hesitation.

Eventually, Fatima Sana Shaikh was finalised for the role. However, this decision sparked concerns because Fatima had played Aamir Khan’s daughter in the highly successful Dangal just two years earlier.

This connection created doubts for the film’s makers, director Vijay Krishna Acharya and producer Aditya Chopra.

Audience Perception Concerns

Aamir Khan shared that the director and producer were worried about how audiences would react to a romantic angle between him and Fatima’s character, given their earlier father-daughter portrayal in Dangal.

“Ye ek aur dikkat thi us waqt Adi aur Victor ki. No heroine said yes to that film. Deepika, Alia, Shraddha, everyone said no. That film was offered to probably everyone in the entire industry but that one role was not getting locked,” Aamir explained.

He continued, “Ultimately, Victor went with Fatima. Victor and Adi said ‘Fatima’s test is good, let’s take her but we won’t keep your romance with her because she is your daughter in that film (Dangal). How can she be your girlfriend in this one? Audience will reject it’.”

Aamir’s Disagreement with the Filmmakers

Aamir Khan, however, disagreed with this reasoning. He believed the audience was intelligent enough to separate reel life from reality.

“I don’t believe in all of this. Main asal mein thodi uska baap hoon, aur na asal mein main uska boyfriend hoon. Hum log film bana rahe hain bhai,” he said.

Referring to Bollywood’s history, Aamir pointed out examples where actors played varied roles with the same co-stars.

“Bachchan has played Rakhee’s lover as well as her son. He had done the same with Waheeda ji. This has happened historically… We are underestimating our audience if we say that,” he added.

Constant Script Changes and Creative Differences

Apart from the casting issues, Aamir revealed that the film’s script kept evolving throughout the process, which left him disappointed with the final product.

“The film kept changing from its original version. By the end, I didn’t recognise what we had made,” he recalled.

After watching the first cut of the film, Aamir expressed serious concerns. He shared how producer Aditya Chopra called him enthusiastically, saying it was a “brilliant film,” but Aamir had an opposite reaction.

“I was shocked. I told them it wouldn’t work, not even for a day,” Aamir revealed.

Lack of Control Over Final Decisions

Despite his reservations, Aamir explained that the director and producer had the final say. “I would fight with them every day that we’ve made it all wrong. It’s structurally incorrect,” he said.

One significant example was the early concept of killing Amitabh Bachchan’s character at the interval, which was ultimately removed. Aamir admitted that his suggestions were not entertained.

“Vijay and Aditya were convinced and didn’t want me to interfere. As the director and producer, the final say was theirs,” he explained.

The Film’s Outcome

Released in 2018, Thugs of Hindostan was among Bollywood’s most expensive productions.

Despite a high-profile cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, and Fatima Sana Shaikh, the film received poor reviews and failed at the box office.

Aamir Khan’s recent revelations offer insight into the internal challenges faced during the making of the film and the factors that may have contributed to its disappointing performance.