Anjum Rajabali: Chakravyuh Originally Written For Shahrukh And Aamir Khan

Screenwriter Anjum Rajabali reveals that the plot for October 24 release Chakravyuh was originally written in 1995 with two of the biggest superstars of Bollywood cinema in the lead roles.

Speaking to HT, Anjum said, "... I began persuading him (Rajkumar Santoshi) to do a film on the politics of exploitation. In response, he asked if I would do a script for a two-hero project. For Shah Rukh - Aamir!"

Anjum set aside his misgivings and came up with the plot. Describing Santoshi's reaction, he said, "As I had hoped, Raj loved the plot. He had a fine sense of drama. He found the story emotional, personal, and not overwhelmed by its politics. And it fit his Shah Rukh - Aamir proposal to a T."

On whether the actors were approached, he said, "Well, as I mentioned earlier, this script was written for Shah Rukh and Aamir. (In fact, Raj and I even pitched it to Aamir in 1995.) However, after that project didn't materialize…During the shooting of China Gate, I casually narrated it to Om. He immediately wanted to produce it, with Kamal Haasan and him as the two heroes. However, that didn't materialize either. Barring these possibilities, I never imagined any specific face in the film."

One certainly cannot help but wonder how the film might have turned out had Shahrukh and Aamir, with their acting calibre and fan following, agreed to such a movie that focuses on a burning social issue facing India today. One has to wait and see whether Arjun and Abhay have matched the original intentions of the director-screenwriter duo.