Actor Shaan Shahid in his latest interview with Nauman Ejaz, explained why he refused a role in the Bollywood film, Ghajini.
The actor talked about the patriots who are patriots until an offer was received from Bollywood. Ejaz asked how many Bollywood offers he has turned down. “I keep receiving offers and I keep refusing them. And after saying no to some from Bollywood, things I’ve had to face in Pakistan were unreal,” Shaan replied.
The actor added that “I was offered a character that anyone in India could’ve done, it wasn’t something Bollywood needed me for.”
Speaking about the time he turned down the role of a villain in Aamir Khan's Ghajini, actor Shaan Shahid opens up about refusal to venture into Bollywood.
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India has brilliant actors: Shaan
Shaan added that “I only asked them one question, ‘Why do you guys want a Pakistani for this?’ They said ‘No one will be able to tell you’re Pakistani.’ I told them ‘Of course, they will.’ And it was the character of a villain, a very gruesome one at that, someone who sells body parts of children and whatnot. So, for three to four days, I kept trying to explain my case to Aamir and then I resorted to a Punjabi example; I told him ‘If you’re India’s pehelwan (heavyweight), I am Pakistan’s pehelwan (heavyweight), men paisay leke kushti nahi harunga (I won’t lose a fight for money)’.” The actor added that he did not want to disappoint his fans in Pakistan.
Ejaz questioned him does not that contradict his principles that a role is a role at the end of the day.
“No, I just refused because anyone could have done that role. It wasn’t the kind of a character that a Pakistani should be called to India for,” Shaan maintained. “So, your only concern was, ‘Why me?’” Nauman interjected, “Yes,” Shaan agreed. “They have brilliant actors, academies that are churning out 300 to 400 actors every day. I also told Aamir that if you guys want an actor from Pakistan, then we have many who meet your role requirements to the T, even someone like Nayyer Ejaz.”
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The host asked what kind of role would he accept in Bollywood films. He said, “I’m not looking for a role there, I don’t have a type. My father, who made these films all his life, a film on Kashmir, too… despite being an artist, I’m my father’s son first. You can’t call yourself your father’s son simply by hanging his picture on your wall.”