Aamir Khan reveals missed opportunity to work with Mani Ratnam on Lajjo

Even though they are both highly regarded in Indian cinema, Aamir Khan and Mani Ratnam have never worked together on a film. They have both stated a strong desire to collaborate, but nothing has materialised in a film just yet. An interview Aamir gave to Galatta Plus recently revealed that they were almost collaborating on a cinematic version of the acclaimed short novel Gharwali by Ismat Chughtai.

Lajjo - the almost collaboration

The protagonist of the story, Lajjo, was the inspiration for the film's title, as the actor confirmed. The superstar stated, declining to provide further details regarding the project's demise, "I have always been a huge fan of Mani Ratnam and always wanted to work with him. I’ve met him many times as well. I’ve been to his house, and we’ve had wonderful conversations. Both of us have wanted to work with each other. We almost worked together in Lajjo. But that didn’t work out for three reasons; it had nothing to do with him or me."

More high-profile projects that were planned but never materialised have been added to the list with the announcement that Lajjo did not perform well. But Aamir's respect for Mani Ratnam has not diminished. He said, "I’m a very big admirer of his work. I still hope that one day, he and I will work together."

Rediscover Mani Ratnam’s timeless classics Geethanjali, Anjali, and Roja—now streaming on OTTplay Premium.

Aamir Khan's comeback with Sitaare Zameen Par

The revelation comes as Aamir is preparing for his return to the big screen after a three-year break. The RS Prasanna-directed Sitaare Zameen Par features the superstar as the lead. Along with Genelia Deshmukh, Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Vedant Sharmaa, Naman Misra, and Rishi Shahani, the new film is said to be a spiritual successor to Taare Zameen Par (2007). The film's producers are Aparna Purohit and Aamir Khan.

The remake of Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), was Aamir's most recent film. Advait Chandan's film bombed at the box office and with critics.

Mani Ratnam, meantime, is coping with the aftermath from his most recent film, Thug Life, which featured Kamal Haasan. Critics have been unkind to the film, which stars Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, and Abhirami. The film was the first time the two filmmakers had worked together since the 1987 cult hit Nayakan.