Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire was a major hit when it released, and went on to win several prestigious awards. Dev Patel and Freida Pinto shot to fame with their roles, and till date, the film remains quite memorable. Slumdog Millionaire went on to win eight awards at the Oscars, including the Best Picture award. The film also starred Anil Kapoor, who played the host of the quiz show in the film. However, did you know, Shah Rukh Khan was first approached for the role?
Yes, you read that right. Shah Rukh Khan was approached to play the role of the host. Now, Shah Rukh has already hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati, and that was part of the reason why he refused to do it. Danny Boyle and Shah Rukh Khan worked on the initial bits of the film together, however, SRK dropped out and the role later went to Anil Kapoor. While promoting his 2010 film My Name Is Khan, Shah Rukh revealed on Jonathan Ross’ chat show, “Danny is a friend, and I was very keen that the film be made, because I think that it’s a very interesting topic.”
While he said that the film’s version of the quiz show was accurate, he didn’t do it as the host’s character was a bit of a cheat, and that if Shah Rukh agreed to do it, people would have felt he had done the same thing. He said, “I didn’t do it because the host is a little bit of a cheat, and he was a little mean, and I’d already done the show so I felt if I do it people will feel I do the same thing.”
Anil Kapoor then played the role of the game show’s host, and was lauded for his brilliant performance in Slumdog Millionaire. ALSO READ: Remember Slumdog Millionaire’s Child Stars Rubina Ali And Azhar? 12 Years Later Here's What They Look Like
Image Source: newstracklive.com, indoindians.com