Daniel Craig was almost part of Rang De Basanti: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra reveals new details

Daniel Craig, the current 007 Agent James Bond, was director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s first choice for the role of James McKinley in his hit film, Rang De Basanti. The filmmaker revealed this exciting piece of information in his latest autobiography, The Stranger in the Mirror. 

The filmmaker turned author recalled the Knives Out star auditioning for the part of James McKinley, “the young jailor who walks Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev to be hanged”, he told PTI. Since Daniel Craig was being considered for the role of the iconic spy, James Bond, the actor requested for some time to think about his role in Rang De Basanti and ultimately had to pass. “The rest, as they say, is history,'' Mehra added.  

Mehra went on to profess his gratitude towards the producers, David Reid and Adam Rowling who were responsible for casting Alice Patten and Steven Mackintosh as Sue and James McKinley, respectively.

Mehra’s autobiography The Stranger in the Mirror, which was released on July 27, covers his childhood, his days in advertising and is peppered with hearty anecdotes from his filming sets.  

Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale came out in theatres the same year as Rang De Basanti. He will be reprising his role for the fifth time in the upcoming James Bond flick, No Time To Die. He will also be reprising his role as Benoit Blanc, the detective with a Southern drawl in Rian Johnson's second instalment of Knives Out, which is currently in production. 

Read about when Aamir Khan demanded Rs 8 Cr for his role in the cult classic film here. 

The 2006 release is available for streaming on Netflix.