Made for Rs 41 crore, this film was rejected by Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, became a hit, earned Rs.. won 55 awards, lead actor is..

Rakesh Omprakash Mehra initially approached three leading actors: Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, and Ranveer Singh.

Jun 22, 2025 - 01:30
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Made for Rs 41 crore, this film was rejected by Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, became a hit, earned Rs.. won 55 awards, lead actor is..

In 2013, a movie hit theatres with the capacity of a storm — a fable that didn’t unbiased touch hearts nonetheless rewrote box office ancient previous and award lists. It went on to construct up 55 awards, including two National Awards and a Filmfare Best Actor trophy. However what if we told you that this cinematic triumph was as soon as rejected by no longer one nonetheless three of Bollywood’s high heroes?

We’re talking about Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the sports biopic that immortalised India’s “Flying Sikh” — Milkha Singh — on the massive conceal. Directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, the movie in a roundabout intention starred Farhan Akhtar in the lead, nonetheless the avenue to finding that excellent Milkha was as soon as stout of U-turns.

The rejected bids

Rakesh Omprakash Mehra on the starting up approached three leading actors: Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, and Ranveer Singh. Every handed:

  • Hrithik Roshan, praised for intensity, was as soon as unavailable—“committed to Krrish,” Mehra remembers in his memoir The Stranger in the Ponder.

  • Aamir Khan, conflicted after Rang De Basanti, bluntly said, “this is no longer for me.”

  • Ranveer Singh learn the script, impressed with the persona, nonetheless in a roundabout intention declined. Mehra admits, “I never understood why.”

Enter the glorious decide

After those three rejections, Farhan Akhtar stepped in. Within unbiased quarter-hour of listening to the theorem that, he was as soon as all in. His portrayal because the legendary runner Milkha Singh, supported by Divya Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, Yograj Singh, Prakash Raj—and a cameo by Sonam Kapoor—transformed the movie fully.

From Rs 30 cr funds to world hit

Despite its modest Rs 30 crore funds, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag surpassed box-office expectations, earning Rs 108 crore discover in India and Rs 168 crore globally, quintupling its investment.

Awards galore

Besides its big box office success, the movie swept awards — 55 in total — and solidified Farhan’s establish in Bollywood no longer only as an actor nonetheless a performer with serious depth.

From rejections to file-breaker, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag wasn’t only a movie — it was as soon as a drag to the manufacture line that no person saw coming.

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