Aamir Khan is set to bring the life of cricketing legend Lala Amarnath to the big screen in a biopic directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
Key Points
- Aamir Khan has agreed to star in a biopic, marking a rare venture into the genre for the actor.
- He will portray Lala Amarnath, a pivotal figure in Indian cricket, known for scoring India’s first Test century and captaining independent India’s first Test series victory.
- The film will be directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, reuniting the actor-director duo who previously collaborated on the cricket-themed blockbuster Lagaan.
The very choosy Aamir Khan has chosen his next project. He will play cricketing legend Lala Amarnath, widely acknowledged as the father figure of Indian cricket.
Amarnath had scored the first ever century for India in Test Cricket in 1933. He was Independent India’s first cricket captain and captained India in their first Test series victory against Pakistan in 1952.
Lala Amarnath was the father of Surinder Amarnath, who scored a century on debut, and Mohinder Amarnath, the Man of the Match in the 1983 World Cup final.
Barring Mangal Pandey, Aamir Khan has not signed up any biopic so far.
He was offered the part of music baron Gulshan Kumar but opted out. He recently came close to playing Dadasaheb Phalke, the founding father of Indian cinema, but the script was not up to his expectations.
Reunion with Ashutosh Gowariker
The biopic will be directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The last time Aamir and Gowariker worked together was also for a film based on cricket, Lagaan.
According to reports, Farhan Akhtar will put in a cameo of a Pakistani cricketer in the film. If it works out, this will be Farhan’s second sports film after Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
