Sitaare Zameen Par: Farhan Akhtar and Sivakarthikeyan were set to star in Aamir Khan's film; Here's what happened

Sitaare Zameen Par is one of the most-awaited films of 2025. The film, produced by Aamir Khan and directed by R.S. Prasanna, also stars Aamir in a lead role. The film is all set to hit theaters on June 20, but ahead of the release, Aamir revealed that Farhan Akhtar and Sivakarthikeyan were initially approached for the film. 

Sitaare Zameen Par were set to cast Farhan Akhtar and Sivakarthikeyan

During the Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Summit, Aamir Khan revealed that he was heartbroken and frustrated after the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha, which led him to take a break and walk out of Sitaare Zameen Par at that time. But he agreed to only produce the film. Back then, the film was set to star Farhan Akhtar in the Hindi version and Sivakarthikeyan in the Tamil version.

Aamir said that he had a chat with R.S. Prasanna (director) about his mental health after the failure of Laal Singh Chaddha, after which Prasanna requested him to only produce the Sitaare Zameen Par. They had decided to make two versions of Sitaare Zameen Par- one in Hindi with Farhan Akhtar in the lead role, while Sivakarthikeyan in the Tamil version. “They loved the script and the dates were even worked out," shared Aamir.

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“On the first day of reading the script, within half an hour, I was like ‘Why am I not doing this film?’ For 7 days, I got that feeling 10 times a day. Then on the seventh day, mere se raha nahin gaya. I told writer Divya and Prasanna that I loved the script. I also said, ‘Now it’s too late. Casting ho chuki hai’. The bullet has been fired from the gun. Prasanna told me, ‘I am from Chennai. We take the bullet which has been fired and put it back in the gun’!" Aamir said. 

What did Prasanna said to Aamir Khan?

Continuing the conversation, Aamir further shared that he then personally apologized to Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan, who were disappointed but understanding of his decision. Aamir said, “He (Prasanna) told me, ‘You are my original choice and as a director, I have been with you for 4 years. Now, when you are feeling like doing it, I can’t let you down’." 

Aamir gathered courage and spoke to Farhan and Sivakarthikeyan and apologized to them. "I honestly told them what had happened. They were disappointed but they understood my point. Farhan said, ‘You have lived with the script for so long,'" he said. 

About Sitaare Zameen Par

Featuring Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh, Sitaare Zameen Par tells the story of a basketball coach who is forced to coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities, which begins a transformative journey for both coach and player. It will hit theatres on June 20, 2025.