Dilip Kumar To Shah Rukh Khan: Indians Who Refused Iconic Hollywood Films

From Fahadh Faasil and Dilip Kumar to Sridevi and Shah Rukh Khan, a look at Indian actors who reportedly came close to starring in iconic Hollywood blockbusters but ultimately missed out.

After the trailer of Alejandro G Iñárritu’s new film Digger came out, more than Tom Cruise’s startling transformation as the ageing billionaire in the film, Indian fans were discussing Riz Ahmed’s presence in it.

The reason?

It is widely reported that Fahadh Faasil was earlier considered for the role. The actor himself confirmed this in an interview with Cue Studio, where he revealed that he was approached for a role in an Alejandro G Iñárritu film but didn’t go ahead with it because the makers wanted him to undergo three months of unpaid accent training. It is because of this interview that fans believe Fahadh Faasil was approached for Riz Ahmed’s part.

The speculation gains further traction because Ahmed’s look in the trailer closely resembles the Malayalam actor’s real-life appearance.

Fahadh Faasil was not the only Indian actor known to have been in the running for that Indian character, which ironically ended up going to a British actor of Pakistani origin. Vir Das also confirmed that he had auditioned for the role twice.

It is definitely a loss for Indian fans not to see either of these two sharing screen space with Tom Cruise. Vir Das, meanwhile, hasn’t been entirely unlucky in Hollywood, having appeared in films and shows like The Bubble, Whiskey Cavalier and Fresh Off The Boat.

There have been successful Indian exports to Hollywood like the late Om Puri, Saeed Jaffrey, Irrfan Khan and, of course, more recently, Priyanka Chopra. But there have also been missed opportunities, either because of scheduling conflicts or disagreements over the content, with these films eventually moving ahead with different actors.

Of course, we don’t know whether these ‘rejections’ happened during the audition stage or after the actors were shortlisted, but they certainly create a fascinating sense of ‘what if’.

Sreeju Sudhakaran looks back at famous Indian actors who almost became part of iconic Hollywood films.

Dilip Kumar: Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

David Lean’s 1962 classic featured Peter O’Toole in the title role while Omar Sharif played the important supporting character Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance.

But before Sharif landed the now iconic role, complete with one of cinema’s greatest introductions, David Lean reportedly wanted to cast Dilip Kumar after being impressed by his performances in Hindi films he had watched while married to Leela Matkar from Girgaum, south Bombay (his longest marriage from 1960 to 1978).

Dilip Kumar is said to have turned down the role because of the lengthy shooting schedule and because he didn’t particularly like the director’s tone.

Years later, Javed Akhtar recalled asking Dilip Kumar whether he regretted rejecting any films. The legendary actor reportedly named three: Pyaasa, Baiju Bawra and Lawrence Of Arabia. Guess missing out on that Oscar nomination did sting.

Sridevi: Jurassic Park (1993)

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama while promoting her 2017 movie Mom, the late Sridevi had confirmed that she had been approached for a role in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi masterpiece Jurassic Park.

She turned it down because, at the time, crossing over to Hollywood felt ‘alien’ for Indian actors, though she admitted it is now considered a matter of prestige.

Some, however, believe she was actually approached for its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). The exact role she was considered for has never been revealed.

Govinda: Avatar (2009)

Take this story however you like, but Govinda has repeatedly claimed on camera that he was approached to play the lead role in James Cameron’s Avatar, way back in the ’90s.

The same role eventually went to Sam Worthington, who played Jake Sully.

The fun doesn’t end there.

Although Govinda admitted he never met James Cameron, he claimed he was the one who suggested the title ‘Avatar‘ to those who approached him with the project.

While the story has been met with widespread scepticism, the actor has continued to stand by it on various platforms, including in his appearance on Mukesh Khanna’s podcast.

Shah Rukh Khan: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Around the time Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire was being shot, Shah Rukh Khan had taken over as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati for its third season, briefly replacing Amitabh Bachchan.

So it made perfect sense for the makers to approach him to play the host of a similar quiz show in the film. It also made perfect sense that SRK rejected it.

Speaking at the World Government Summit 2024 in Dubai, the superstar said he declined the role because the character was ‘cheating and being dishonest as a host’.

Considering he was hosting the real show at the time, it definitely wasn’t the image he wanted to project. Anil Kapoor famously stepped into the role, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Troy (2004)

Well, The Odyssey has just arrived, so it’s a good time to revisit the story of another Homer adaptation that almost featured one of India’s biggest stars.

At the peak of her career in the 2000s, Aishwarya Rai was actively exploring Hollywood opportunities. She was reportedly offered a role in Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy, though not as Helen of Troy (played by Diane Kruger).

Instead, Ash was considered for Briseis, Achilles’ captive and love interest. Aishwarya declined the role because she was uncomfortable with the lengthy shooting schedule and the nude and intimate scenes opposite Brad Pitt, something she later confirmed herself.

Rose Byrne eventually played the character. Aishwarya, later, appeared in international projects like Bride And Prejudice, The Mistress Of Spices, The Last Legion and The Pink Panther 2.

Lara Dutta: The Matrix Sequels (2003)

From one former beauty queen to another. Even before making her Bollywood debut, the former Miss Universe was reportedly offered a role in one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.

In a 2010 interview with Bollywood Hungama, Lara Dutta confirmed she had been approached for The Matrix franchise in 2001, which means the offer was likely for either The Matrix Reloaded (2003) or The Matrix Revolutions (2003).

She turned it down because her mother was unwell. Dutta later made her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar in Andaz, which also came out in 2003.

While it has never been confirmed which role she was offered, rumours suggest it was either Persephone, eventually played by Monica Bellucci, or Kamala, Sati’s mother, played by Tharini Mudaliar.

Interestingly, Priyanka Chopra, who won Miss World the same year Dutta won Miss Universe and later co-starred with her in Andaz, played Sati in the 2021 legacy sequel, The Matrix Resurrections.

Naseeruddin Shah: Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Naseeruddin Shah has appeared in his fair share of English-language films, most notably as Captain Nemo in The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).

But he also had the opportunity to audition for one of cinema’s biggest franchises. Following Richard Harris’ death after Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002), the studio was searching for someone to replace him as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

Naseeruddin Shah later revealed that he had been invited to audition but chose not to. While it would have been wonderful to see the actor in such an iconic role, we doubt he would have landed it anyway, considering J K Rowling was famously insistent on British actors being cast in the series.

Michael Gambon eventually took over the role, beginning with Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

Irrfan Khan: The Martian (2015)

The late Irrfan Khan remains one of India’s most successful exports to Hollywood, having appeared in franchises like The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World and The Da Vinci Code series, while also impressing in standalone films like The Warrior, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, The Namesake and Life of Pi.

Yet, there were some famous roles he turned down, one of them being Ridley Scott’s The Martian.

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Irrfan revealed he had to pass on the film because he had already committed his dates to Shoojit Sircar’s Piku.

Though he never explicitly confirmed the role, it is widely believed he was considered for NASA director Vincent Kapoor. Despite the character being of Indian origin, the role eventually went to English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Irrfan Khan was also offered a role in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar but had to decline because of prior commitments to The Lunchbox and D-Day. While the late legend did have some bad luck with his Hollywood career, we can hardly complain because we got some terrific performances back home from him.

Deepika Padukone: Furious 7 (2015)

Deepika Padukone made her Hollywood debut opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017). But the two could have shared screen space even earlier.

The actress was reportedly offered a role in Furious 7, believed to be that of the hacker Ramsey, who was ultimately played by Nathalie Emmanuel.

However, Deepika had already committed her dates to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and had to pass on the opportunity.

While Furious 7 went on to become a global blockbuster, it’s hard to imagine Deepika having many regrets. She eventually got her Hollywood break anyway, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela was a huge hit and working on that film also gave her something far more valuable: Future husband, Ranveer Singh.

Of course, Furious 7 did star another Bollywood actor: Ali Fazal.

Ronit Roy: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show while promoting Shehzada, Ronit Roy revealed one of the biggest regrets of his career: Missing out on Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winning Zero Dark Thirty.

While he didn’t specify which role he had been offered, Roy said he had to turn it down because the dates clashed with his schedule for Student Of The Year. Despite requesting a change, the production refused to release him from those dates, forcing him to let go of what could have been his Hollywood debut.

The real tragedy? The Student of the Year schedule didn’t go ahead as planned, which meant he could have done Zero Dark Thirty after all. What a bummer!

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff