Filmmaker Mansoor Khan recently revealed that he initially envisioned his cousin, Aamir Khan, for the role played by Chandrachur Singh in the 2000 film Josh. However, Aamir assumed he was being considered for the lead character, Max, eventually portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan.
Aamir prepared for Max’s role, but Mansoor had SRK in mind
Aamir had starred in most of Mansoor’s directorial ventures, including Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, and Akele Hum Akele Tum, and therefore expected to be cast as the protagonist. Josh revolved around two rival street gangs in Goa, with Max leading the Eagles and his twin sister Shirley (Aishwarya Rai) falling in love with Rahul (Chandrachur Singh), the younger brother of their rival gang leader.
Mansoor explained that he had always envisioned Aamir for the role of Rahul, not Max. “I had written the script, and in my mind, Shah Rukh was always going to play Max… In my mind, Aamir was the younger brother (of Sharad Kapoor’s character), so the romantic angle was (supposed to be) between Aamir and Aishwarya. I narrated it to Aamir, but I didn’t specify who would play which role, and he immediately assumed he was Max.
“The next day, Aamir came to my dad Nasir Hussain’s office, already in character, with a glove on his hand. I thought, ‘Oh no, he thinks he’s playing Max!’ But I didn’t correct him immediately,” Mansoor shared in an interview with PTI.
When he later confirmed that Shah Rukh Khan had been finalised as Max, Aamir declined the role. “At that time, Aamir was transitioning in his career. He didn’t want to play romantic roles anymore; he wanted to do tougher or more mature characters. So, he flatly refused. Aamir and I still have differences on this,” Mansoor admitted.
Kajol turned down Shirley’s role, wanted to play Max
The casting of Shirley, originally played by Aishwarya Rai, also had an interesting twist. Mansoor first approached Kajol for the role, but she had other plans. “She heard the entire narration, and as she was walking out, I asked her, ‘Kajol, are you doing the film?’ She replied, ‘I want to play Max.’ Kajol said, ‘How can I play Shah Rukh’s sister?’ Everyone wanted to play Max because the character was so charismatic.”
Ultimately, Josh became Mansoor Khan’s final directorial venture before he moved to Coonoor for a quieter life. Reflecting on his departure from filmmaking, he said, “I was never interested in making movies long-term. My plan was always to make a few films and then leave because I’m not a city person.”
However, he is now gearing up for a cinematic return with an adaptation of his recently published book, ONE: The Story of the Ultimate Myth. Aamir Khan, deeply passionate about the project, is set to produce and star in the film. “I’ve written the screenplay and a second draft, which I’m convinced about, but Aamir isn’t. However, he loves this book and is determined to make it into a film. He will produce it, and we will finalise the female lead soon,” Mansoor concluded.
