Farhan Akhtar, who was recently confirmed to be starring in Aamir Khan’s production Champions, directed by RS Prasanna, has reportedly opted out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. According to sources, Farhan Akhtar had a clash of dates with his upcoming film Don 3, which also features Ranveer Singh in the lead role.
However the rumour mill now says that the producer Aamir Khan himself is keen to play the lead in the film and that is why he has asked Farhan Akhtar to step down from the project. Interestingly, Aamir Khan had taken the film to Ranbir Kapoor and Salman Khan first who turned down the role but Aamir always felt very strongly about the film.
Aamir Khan To Replace Farhan Akhtar As Lead In Champions?
Aamir Khan had acquired the rights of the film and had roped in RS Prasanna, who had previously directed Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, to helm the project. Aamir Khan was also supposed to play a cameo role in the film as himself.
But now the reports are that Farhan has stepped down from the project. The official version said, “Farhan Akhtar had said yes to the film, and was to lead the cast. Initially the film was to go on floors in October. But now, the same has been moved to January 2024.” Ask for the reason and the source continues, “The team is still to cast a few more members. For this they require more time and hence decided on pushing the venture by three months.” But with the announcement of Don 3, Farhan now finds himself rather busy from January 2024 onwards as he needs to work on the pre-production. Because of the clash of schedule, he decided to opt-out.
If reports are to be believed, then the actual reason behind this is that Aamir Khan feels so strongly about the project that he wants to play the lead himself now and that’s why he amicably asked Farhan Akhtar to step down from the project.
Aamir Khan’s Champions Shoot Gets Delayed
Farhan Akhtar’s exit has put a dent in the plans of Aamir Khan and RS Prasanna, who were aiming to start shooting the film in October this year. The film has now been pushed to January 2024.
Aamir Khan’s team feels they require the right individuals with physical or mental challenges to feature in the remake, and their official stance is that they are currently casting for the same. Reveals the source, “Champions being a remake will need to pay close attention to the original and cannot deviate much, casting of these individuals are currently underway, which has added yet another layer to the delay in going on floors.”
Meanwhile, Aamir Khan has locked Christmas 2024 for an upcoming film, starring him as the lead. There were reports of Rajkumar Santoshi helming this film but there are no confirmations yet. If latest murmurs are to be believed, then Champions might be the film that Aamir Khan stars in and releases on Christmas next year.
Aamir Khan is also producing Ujjwal Nikam biopic and reportedly also Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey Remake, Pritam Pyaare, Lapata Ladies and Love Today.
Champions, Remake Of Spanish Film Campeones
Champions is the official remake of the 2018 Spanish comedy-drama film Campeones, which was a huge hit in Spain and won several awards. The film revolves around a basketball coach who is sentenced to community service after a drunk driving accident. He ends up coaching a team of intellectually disabled players and learns valuable lessons from them.
The film is expected to be a heartwarming and humorous story that will appeal to all age groups. The film will also feature a cast of talented actors with intellectual disabilities, who will play the basketball team members.
