Salman Khan Was the Original Choice for Ghajini, Not Aamir Khan – Reveals Pradeep Rawat

Aamir Khan’s 2008 film Ghajini directed and co-written by AR Murugadoss became the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. It became the first Bollywood film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark domestically, creating the 100 Crore Club. Pradeep Rawat, who played the villain in Ghajini, recently shared some interesting insights about the film’s casting. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Pradeep revealed that director AR Murugadoss initially wanted Salman Khan for the lead role in the Hindi remake of his Tamil film.

Murugadoss was keen on making a Hindi version of his successful Tamil movie Ghajini and admired Salman Khan. However, Pradeep had reservations about this choice. He expressed concerns about Salman’s reputed short temper, which he felt might create complications during the film’s production. Pradeep was also worried about the communication barrier, as Murugadoss didn’t speak English or Hindi fluently. He explained, “I thought in my mind ‘Salman is short-tempered and Murugdoss doesn’t speak in English or Hindi. He didn’t even have a personality.”

Reflecting on his experiences, Pradeep felt Aamir Khan was a better fit for the role. He praised Aamir’s calm demeanour and respectful behaviour, qualities he had observed while working with him on previous films like ‘Sarfarosh.’ According to Pradeep, Aamir’s composed nature made him a more suitable choice for the demanding role in Ghajini.