Vicky Kaushal has reacted to Aamir Khan naming him as his choice to play Bhuvan in a remake of the classic Lagaan.
The actor wrote, "There can be no other 'Bhuvan' than Aamir Sir...but such an honour to get such kind words from the master himself."
Background
Aamir Khan, who joined Indian soldiers at the border in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor for NDTV's Jai Jawan special on Independence Day, was asked about the possibility of remaking his 2001 Oscar-nominated film.
One of the soldiers quizzed him on who could step into his shoes for the role of Bhuvan if the period sports drama were to be made today.
Initially, Aamir quipped, "Why will I let anyone else do it? I'll do it." After some thought, he added, "I know the answer to this question. This is my choice that I'm sharing with you."
The actor then revealed his pick, saying, "I would have chosen Vicky Kaushal to play the role of Bhuvan... The character of Bhuvan, he has two-three qualities. He is very clean at heart and you feel the same when you look at Vicky. Dil ka sahi banda hai. Secondly, he (Bhuvan) has a lot of inner strength, he is like a mountain, pahaad ki chattaan. There's also a certain dignity, seriousness to him, he is also chulbula -- Vicky has all these qualities."
About Lagaan
In Lagaan, Aamir Khan played Bhuvan, a villager from Champaner who rallies fellow villagers to challenge the British Indian Army officers in a cricket match. If the villagers win, they are freed from paying the heavy "teen guna lagaan" (three times the tax). Leading the team, Bhuvan ultimately secures victory and saves his village.
Made on a budget of Rs 25 crore (around US$5.3 million), Lagaan was the most expensive Indian film at the time. It also marked the first project of Aamir Khan Productions, with the actor stepping in as producer after several production hurdles.
Director Ashutosh Gowariker had drawn inspiration from the 1957 sports drama Naya Daur.
Vicky Kaushal, meanwhile, has already headlined acclaimed period dramas such as Sardar Udham, Sam Bahadur, and Chhavaa.
