Aamir Khan's Rang De Basanti has clocked in 17 years. The patriotic drama film, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, was chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars and also received commercial and critical acclaim, winning four National Film Awards including the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Apart from Aamir, the film had an ensemble cast of Siddharth, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, Alice Patten, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Om Puri, and Waheeda Rehman among others. However, most people don't know the fact that the director even considered Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan to play the roles of Karan Singhania and Flight Lt. Ajay Singh Rathod, which were eventually played by Siddharth in his Bollywood debut and R. Madhavan respectively. Arjun Rampal was also considered to play Karan's role.
Speaking to IANS in an old interview, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said, "Yes, we underwent several changes. It had to be that way. It is a huge ensemble cast and I needed each actor for nine months. Yes, initially I approached Arjun Rampal for Karan Singhania's role. It didn't work out. When the character crystallised Arjun didn't seem the right choice."
"Hrithik Roshan was also spoken to for Karan's role. He loved the script but didn't have the time. Shah Rukh was approached for Ajay Rathod's role. I pursued him for a while. But the dates didn't work out. With Shah Rukh, you don't question too much. We share a healthy relationship", he concluded.
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Meanwhile, on the 17th anniversary of the film, the hashtag #17yearsofRDB has been trending on the micro-blogging website Twitter since morning. While one Twitter user wrote, "The story, the acting, the song everything is so beautiful, the message we get. Watched it more than 50 + times", another added, "Rang De Basanti is not just a film, it's a masterpiece of art & cinema" along with the hashtag.
The film's soundtrack is also considered to be among A. R. Rahman's finest works with memorable songs such as Masti Ki Paathshaala, Khalbali, Luka Chuppi, Roobaroo, Tu Bin Bataye, and the title track Rang De Basanti. The Oscar-winning composer won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for the film released on January 26, 2006.
