Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani reunite for Dadasaheb Phalke biopic

The life of the 'Father of Indian Cinema', Dadasaheb Phalke, will soon be adapted for the big screen by Aamir Khan and director Rajkumar Hirani. The biography, which is set to start filming in October 2025, will follow the life of the visionary filmmaker who established India's film industry.

Four years in the making

For the last four years, Rajkumar Hirani and his long-time writing partner Abhijat Joshi have been honing the script. Hindukush and Avishkar Bharadwaj, both writers, will be joining them. Chandrashekhar Srikrishna Pusalkar, grandson of Dadasaheb Phalke, has contributed insightful stories from his grandfather's life and work, and he has lent his support to the effort as well.

Amidst the political and social context of India's fight for independence, the film will follow Phalke as he begins with nothing and uses what little he has to create "Raja Harishchandra" in 1913, the country's first feature film, and the seed that would grow into one of the world's biggest film industries.

Here's when Aamir Khan begins his prep

According to sources, Aamir Khan (who was last seen in Salaam Venky) will start getting ready for his role once Sitaare Zameen Par (which is set to be released on June 20, 2025) hits theatres. The casting of other important individuals is still a mystery, but pre-production is well underway, with Los Angeles VFX firms creating period-accurate visual designs using artificial intelligence.

In addition to their previous hit PK (2014) and 3 Idiots (2009), this project is the third big collaboration between the Ghajini star and Hirani. In addition to being commercial successes, both films achieved cult status due to the extensive discussions they prompted about their themes.

First mainstream Hindi biopic on Dadasaheb Phalke

Popular Hindi films have not featured the life narrative of Phalke, despite his significant impact on Indian cinema. To bridge that gap, the next film will present a story that is deeply steeped in the cultural and historical growth of Indian film.

The untitled film, with its combination of historical location, real-life inspiration, and a high-profile creative team, is expected to make a significant impact in the expanding biopic and period drama genre of Hindi cinema.