When This Amitabh Bachchan Film Was Turned Down By 13 Actors Including Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, SRK & Sunny Deol

Amitabh Bachchan was once at a career crossroads. Between personal and professional struggles, he found himself needing a project that could reignite his star power. Enter Sooryavansham, a film that eventually became a cult classic and a television staple despite its initial lackluster box office performance. The movie provided the unexpected resurgence he desperately needed.

He played the dual role of an aging patriarch and his youthful alter ego, demanding a great portrayal from the actor. What makes the story even more fascinating is that the role was initially offered to a roster of some of Bollywood’s biggest names. For reasons ranging from reluctance to play an elderly character to concerns about the image, 13 superstars turned down the opportunity.

Several Big Names of Bollywood Were Offered Sooryavansham

Before Amitabh Bachchan stepped into the shoes of Thakur Bhanu Pratap in Sooryavansham, the role was offered to a list of 13 celebrated actors. Among them were Sunny Deol, Mithun Chakraborty, Ajay Devgn, Jackie Shroff, Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, and Saif Ali Khan, as per DNA India.