When Aamir Khan Walked Away From A Shah Rukh Khan Film & Later Admitted He Hated It (And No, It’s Not Swades)

Aamir Khan once turned down a major film alongside Shah Rukh Khan, and when he finally saw it, he didn’t like it. It was a two-hero movie, so we’re not talking about Swades.

- June 23, 2025 | 12:27 PM IST

The Shah Rukh Khan Movie Aamir Khan Rejected(Photo Credit –Facebook/Instagram)

Aamir Khan’s latest theatrical release, Sitaare Zameen Par, is being admired by several critics and cinephiles alike. Just a few days ago, superstar Shah Rukh Khan made a surprise visit and met the perfectionist actor along with the film’s wonderful cast. But did you know Aamir Khan once turned down a role in a film in which he would have starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan? It would have been a treat to see these two icons share the screen in a two-hero film — so no, it wasn’t Swades. And not just that, when Aamir Khan later saw the film, he reportedly hated it. Read on to find out which film it was and why he walked away from the project.

The Shah Rukh Khan Film Turned Down By Aamir Khan

According to a recent interview of Mansoor Khan (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak) with Screen (via The Indian Express), the former filmmaker revealed that he had both Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in mind for the 2000 movie Josh. But when he narrated the script, both actors reportedly wanted to play the role of Max, the charismatic gang leader. And they were not keen on taking the romantic part, which was eventually played by Chandrachur Singh.

In the end, Aamir Khan walked away from Josh, and Shah Rukh Khan was signed on for the role of Max in the film. Mansoor Khan also revealed that when Aamir Khan eventually watched the movie, he admitted he hated it. Had these two celebrated actors shared screen space in the film, Josh might have turned out to be an even bigger film. But as they say, every film finds its own path, and every actor is destined to play a particular role.

What Was Josh All About & How Did It Perform?

Set in 1980s Goa, the film revolves around the fierce rivalry between two street gangs led by Max (Shah Rukh Khan) and Prakash (Sharad Kapoor). The situation takes a more violent turn when Prakash’s brother Rahul (Chandrachur Singh) falls in love with Max’s twin sister, Shirley (Aishwarya Rai). The film also features Priya Gill, Sharat Saxena, Vivek Vaswani, and Sushant Singh, among others.

Josh collected a worldwide gross of ₹35.06 crores against a budget of ₹ 16 crores (as per Box Office India). The film received mixed feedback from the audience and holds a user rating of 6.1/10 on IMDb. Incidentally, it was the last film directed by Mansoor Khan.

You can watch the popular song ‘Apun Bola’ from the movie Josh here.