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Did You Know Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya did not audition for Chatur but THIS role?
Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya recently revealed he didn’t audition for Chatur’s role. Find out whose role he actually auditioned for in the film.
Even after 15 years, 3 Idiots remains an unforgettable classic that resonates with audiences, touching on themes like friendship, growth, and the pursuit of dreams. The film's insightful take on college life and the education system has left a lasting impact. As the film celebrates its milestone, Omi Vaidya, who starred alongside Aamir Khan, shared that he didn't audition for his iconic role as Chatur but instead for Raju Rastogi's dialogues.
In a conversation with Indian Express, Omi Vaidya shared that during his time in Hollywood, he was involved with the development of The Office. At that point, the casting team was searching for newcomers, particularly American-Indian actors, and much of the script was still unfinished.
While in India for a wedding, a friend from Ohio, who was assisting co-writer Abhijat Joshi, encouraged him to audition. Despite his limited exposure to Hindi films and lack of interest at the time, he decided to visit the office in Mumbai.
Omi further explained that he had always focused on American projects and never considered Bollywood films. His friend, despite thinking he wouldn't land the role, decided to send his The Office work to the casting team. Even his mother encouraged him to audition for the experience.
He added, "When I went, they gave me Raju Rastogi’s lines. I sat there for about four hours, practicing two pages of lines." However, the casting director informed him that he didn’t speak the language well enough and thanked him for his time.
Omi Vaidya had to turn down a major opportunity in a popular Hollywood series to pursue the next round of auditions for 3 Idiots. He almost landed a role in How I Met Your Mother, with the team loving his audition.
However, by then, Aamir Khan was already cast in the film. The team asked Omi to come to New Mexico for another audition, and he had to decline the HIMYM offer. After the audition, Raju Hirani called him and advised him to not improve his Hindi further, as they wanted his character's Hindi to remain imperfect for authenticity.
The actor shared that despite the challenges, he thoroughly enjoyed working on 3 Idiots. He had to make several adjustments, including losing and gaining weight, shaving his head to appear older, and more. Interestingly, he received the script just three days before the shoot, a decision made intentionally by the filmmakers to ensure his performance felt raw and natural, especially with the language.
Omi also recalled a hilarious prank pulled off by director Rajkumar Hirani on his first day of shooting 3 Idiots. During the ragging scene, he was told to wear American flag underwear, but when the time came to shoot, he was handed a shiny gold thong instead.
Despite feeling uncomfortable, Omi Vaidya was committed to giving his best performance. After expressing his concerns to Hirani, the director revealed it was all a joke, and everyone else had been in on it. He laughed, recalling how Raju’s prank left him in a rather awkward situation.
Released in 2009, 3 Idiots, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, featured a stellar cast including Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sharman Joshi, R. Madhavan, and Boman Irani.
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