Rajkumar Hirani caught off guard as Aamir Khan rejects draft of Dadasaheb Phalke biopic

Aamir Khan’s much-anticipated collaboration with Rajkumar Hirani has hit an unexpected roadblock. The biopic on Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, has reportedly been put on hold after Khan asked for major changes in the script.

The film, announced earlier this year, was expected to go on floors in October 2025. However, according to a report in Bollywood Hungama, Aamir was unconvinced by the draft presented by Hirani and writer Abhijat Joshi. A source told the outlet that Aamir felt the story lacked the dramatic balance needed for a theatrical release. “Aamir Khan heard the script from Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi but felt it did not have enough elements for cinema. He expected their usual mix of laughter, emotion, and drama. The absence of lighter moments raised doubts in his mind, and he asked Raju to rewrite it,” the source revealed. The reaction, reportedly unexpected for the makers, has left the project’s future uncertain.

The delay has created further intrigue as this was to be Aamir and Hirani’s third outing after 3 Idiots and PK. The project had already seen extensive preparation. Writers Hindukush and Avishkar Bhardwaj had worked on the screenplay for four years, while Los Angeles-based VFX teams had begun designing AI-assisted recreations of early 20th-century India. Even Phalke’s grandson had extended his support, sharing personal accounts from the filmmaker’s life.

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, better known as Dadasaheb Phalke, is revered as the pioneer of Indian cinema. In 1913, he directed Raja Harishchandra, recognised as India’s first full-length feature film. His later works such as Lanka Dahan, Shri Krishna Janma and Kaliya Mardan further cemented his legacy. In 1969, the Government of India instituted the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour for lifetime contribution to cinema, in his name.

For now, the biopic remains in limbo, with production no longer expected to begin next month. Reports suggest Aamir has started listening to other scripts while Hirani and Joshi evaluate how to rework the draft. What was planned as a tribute to Indian cinema’s earliest visionary now finds itself paused, waiting for its leading man’s approval.