‘Danny Boyle offered me Irrfan Khan’s role in Slumdog Millionaire,’ says Amit Sial: ‘I refused it as…’

Amit Sial shared that he was offered Irrfan Khan's role in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire but he didn't understand the importance of the character.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: August 27, 2024 06:09 PM IST

3 min read

Amit Sial (right) recalled that he was offered Irrfan's (left) role in Slumdog Millionaire.

Danny Boyle’s 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire cast a lot of Indian actors and while everyone remembers Irrfan Khan and Anil Kapoor’s work in the film, there were a few others who were offered some meaty parts in the film but they let go of the opportunity. In a recent interview, actor Amit Sial recalled that he was offered two roles in the film, one of them being the role that was eventually played by Irrfan Khan.

Talking to Bollywood Bubble, Amit shared that the first role offered to him was of Salim, older brother of Dev Patel’s character. But director Danny later felt like Amit looked older for the part. “I remember Danny Boyle had come for Slumdog Millionaire to me and we were supposed to do a film. But later he said that the part I auditioned for looked a bit older for that. I was desperate to do it so I assured him that I would lose weight and look young for the part. He then said something amazing to me. Later, he said a very beautiful thing, ‘We know you can do it, but what about the maturity? You have so many years of experience, how will you reduce that when you act? You’ll end up just acting’,” he recalled. The role of Salim was eventually played by Madhur Mittal.

Amit recalled that soon after, he got a call to play the role of the cop who interrogates but Amit could not see the potential of the character and missed the chance. “Phir mujhe message aaya ki voh jo police wala hai na, jo interrogate karta hai, jo baadme Irrfan Khan ne kiya tha, woh karoge kya? To mujhe uska importance script mein samajh nahi aaya. Shayad uss waqt itni akal nahi thi, aur mujhe laga ki yaar ye to kuch hai hi nahi, toh bas question poochta hai (I got a message to play the police officer, which was played by Irrfan Khan. I didn’t understand the importance of this character on paper. Maybe I wasn’t wise enough at the time and I thought he is just asking questions).”

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Amit said that Danny insisted on him doing the role and shared, “He even insisted that I do that role but I didn’t do it. Then I saw Irrfan Khan doing the role and creating magic in it. But I think whatever happens, is for the best.”

Irrfan was appreciated for his work in the 2008 film. Slumdog Millionaire won eight Academy Awards.

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