Nikhil Kumar  for ApunKaChoice

Mumbai, Jul 16: The character of Mahatma Gandhi’s prodigal son Harilal in Feroz Abbas Khan’s movie Gandhi My Father is a role of a lifetime.

When renowned theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan decided to adapt his famous play ‘Gandhi Vs Gandhi’ on the silver screen, many people in the film industry expressed interest in the project.

One of them reportedly was Aamir Khan , who was captivated by the grey shades of the leading character, Harilal, who left and rebelled against his father (Mahatma Gandhi), and even changed his religion.

Reports have it that Aamir was so interested in the subject that he even offered Feroz Abbas Khan to produce the film. On the other hand, Yashraj Films were also trying to get this film made under their banner.

But it was Anil Kapoor who won Feroz Abbas Khan’s confidence. Kapoor not just decided to produce the film but also suggested Akshaye Khanna ’s name for the role of Harilal.

In the beginning, Feroz Abbas Khan was apprehensive. He wanted to audition Akshaye. Anil Kapoor knew that Akshaye would feel bad if he was told to audition for the role. So Kapoor asked Akshaye to come for rehearsal. While Akshaye thought he was rehearsing, Feroz Abbas Khan was auditioning him. Finally, Khan liked Akshaye’s performance and intensity.

And now that the film is fully made, Khan says Akshaye is one of the best acting talents in Bollywood.

As for Aamir, he would not have been able to do the film even if he had signed it. Why? Because he was busy directing his home production Taare Zameen Pe in the days when ‘Gandhi My Father’ was being made.