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Aamir Khan was to play Vijay Raaz's gangster role in Delhi Belly? Writer Akshat Verma and director Abhinay Deo reveal: 'He was interested in...'
Delhi Belly almost had a different cast! Director Abhinay Deo and writer Akshat Verma reveal how the cult comedy’s casting choices came together.
In a new behind-the-scenes video shared on Aamir Khan’s YouTube channel, director Abhinay Deo, writer Akshat Verma and actor Vir Das spilled some fascinating casting secrets. The team revealed that Aamir Khan was originally considered for the role that eventually went to Vijay Raaz—the hilarious gangster who became one of the film’s most iconic characters. While the makers were eager to cast Aamir in that part, the superstar had other plans.
Director Abhinay Deo said, "Akshat wanted Aamir to play Vijay Raaz's role; even I wanted Aamir to play that role, while Aamir was interested in Kunal's (Kunal Roy Kapur) role. We were pushing him and at the end he became the disco fighter. So at some point it seems you surrender and let things fall into place."
Eventually, Aamir didn’t take either role and made a memorable cameo instead as Disco Fighter. That one scene turned out to be legendary and still gets fans talking.
The casting process for Delhi Belly was far from simple. Vir Das, who played Arup, wasn’t even supposed to play that role initially. He shared, “Technically, when we started the casting, I was meant to play Tashi, Imran’s character.” Screenwriter Akshat Verma confirmed this, adding that it would have never worked. After multiple rounds of auditions, the role went to Imran Khan, and Vir landed the character of Arup. “I auditioned nine times for Delhi Belly,” Vir recalled. “Every time I used to get a call from a new landline at Aamir Khan Productions.”
Interestingly, Vir had to make a big decision between Delhi Belly and another major film. “Delhi Belly and Rock On!! fell on the same dates and I was getting Purab Kohli’s role, but I chose Delhi Belly over it,” he revealed. That year, he was also testing for 3 Idiots with six auditions in total.
The surprises didn’t stop there. Kunal Roy Kapur, who played Nitin, wasn’t the original choice either. The filmmakers were looking at his brother, Aditya Roy Kapur, but Kunal walked in and fit perfectly. The casting switch turned out to be a blessing.
In the end, all the casting curveballs, from Aamir stepping back to Vir and Kunal stepping in, led to the chaos and comedy that made Delhi Belly unforgettable.
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