I wanted to do Sanjay Dutt's role in 'Sanju', says Aamir
Mumbai, May 23: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan says he was offered to play the role of late Sunil Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani's "Sanju", the upcoming biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt, but he refused it only because he wanted to essay the title character.
Aamir interacted with the media here on Wednesday.
Asked if he was offered to play the role of Sunil Dutt, he said: "He (Hirani) approached me with the script and I loved it. He wanted me to play Dutt saab's role. It is a fantastic role and the story is largely on the father-son relationship. But Sanju's role is unbelievable.
"So as an actor, I told Raju that Sanjay Dutt's role is so wonderful that it won my heart. So in this film I can't do any other role but Sanjay Dutt's, which of course I cannot do because Ranbir (Kapoor) is playing it. So, do not offer me anything."
Aamir, who has clocked 30 years in the film industry, finds Ranbir a good actor and he is confident he must have done well in the film.
"I cannot wait to watch the film now," said Aamir, who has worked closely with Hirani in films like "3 Idiots" and "PK".
In real life, Aamir shared a strong bond with Sunil Dutt.
Reminiscing some fond memories of the late actor, he said: "He always sent me telegrams in those days to wish me on Diwali, Eid, birthday... If my film did well, he sent me a congratulations note."
What was his favourite memory of Sunil Dutt?
Aamir said: "During the riots of 1993, the Hindi film industry took a delegation to the then Chief Minister to stop the riots. Around 40 people went to the CM's office. After that, we decided that since no immediate action had been taken, we will sit under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Mantralaya. All 40 of us came and sat under the statue and we decided until the violence stops, we won't move from there.
"For the night, we decided to continue it rotationally. So on the first time, Dutt Saab, Yash Chopra, Johnny Walker, I and one of the film producers, we all sat down together at night under the Gandhi statue. We spent the whole night there... Of course, the next day people came and by the evening the CM took some action.
"But for me, it was a memorable night where I was listening to the stories of their journey from Dutt saab and Johnny Walker. I remember that night very clearly. He was a very strong, dignified and gentle person."
Aamir confirmed he was producing the slain Indian music mogul Gulshan Kumar's biopic with Bhushan Kumar.
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Protests against Khamenei's killing: Curbs remain in force in Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Strict restrictions remained imposed in many areas of Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, the government shut educational institutions till Saturday, while mobile internet speed continued to remain throttled.
"Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Wednesday," the officials said.
They said strict restrictions were being enforced especially in the parts having large Shia population and those areas which have witnessed massive protests over the last three days.
A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors, the officials said.
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They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.
The iconic Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.
The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei's assassination in the joint air strikes by the US and Israel.
This is the first time since August 2019 that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir.
The government had first ordered the closure of schools, colleges and universities for two days. However, on Tuesday it decided to close the educational institutions till Saturday as a precautionary measure in view of the protests.
Mobile internet speeds continued to remain throttled while some prepaid mobile connections were also barred, the officials added.
On Tuesday, protests rocked several places in the valley, including Sumbal and Pattan areas of North Kashmir.
In Sumbal of Bandipora district, security forces had to resort to force to disperse the demonstrators.
Some media outlets and individuals, including National Conference Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, faced police heat for allegedly circulating misleading information.
A case was filed against Mehdi and Mattu under BNS sections 197(1)(d) and 353(1)(b) at Cyber Police Station, Srinagar, for allegedly circulating "false, fabricated and misleading content" on digital and social media platforms.
"The content in question, prima facie, reflects the dissemination of distorted narratives and unverified information capable of causing public unrest and societal disharmony. Such deliberate attempts to spread misinformation pose a serious threat to peace, security, and overall stability," the police said in a statement.
Both have been condemning the killing of Khameinei and the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
However, hours after the registration of the case, Mehdi, an influential Shia leader, said he would not be deterred from speaking the truth.
"The people of Srinagar did not elect their MP to recite government-approved condolences. They elected him to speak truth. That mandate does not expire with an FIR," he said in a post on X.
Police has issued an appeal to people to refrain from violence and provocation.
"We appeal to all sections of the society to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and provocation," it said.
Police said they will take strict legal action against instigators of violence and those involved in unlawful activities.
On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed officials to be on high alert and chaired a meeting of top officials of the police and army here.
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"Chaired a meeting of senior police & civil administration officials at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, to review the law and order situation. Directed the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquillity," Sinha said on X.
He appealed to the people and community leaders to maintain peace.
"I also appeal to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us," he said.
