Did you know Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra had nearly cast Farhan Akhtar in Rang De Basanti?

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, known for his stand-out movies like

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

, Delhi 6 and

Rang De Basanti

, took to his Instagram page and wished Farhan Akhtar on his birthday. He also posted behind-the-scenes images shot with Farhan while filming the

Milkha Singh biopic

and their upcoming film,

Toofan

. The latter is a dramatic story set against the backdrop of boxing.

Farhan Akhtar, who had gained considerable ground as a filmmaker and an actor, playing an array of urban characters, turned the narrative in his favour when he signed up to play Milkha Singh. The industry sat up and took note of the fact that he had more to offer as an artiste than had been explored up until then. Talking about Farhan’s growth as an actor, Rakeysh says, “For me, he was always a complete actor. Yes, as an actor, there are roles that are made for you and some that may not be for you. But a good actor can get under the skin of any character. I had complete confidence in Farhan when we cast him for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Deep down, my instincts had told me that he will elevate the role and take it notches higher. I felt comfortable with that thought. Instinctively, I had said that he will do a good job. It turns out that he didn’t play Milkha Singh, Farhan Akhtar became Mlikha Singh.”

This was between 2012 and 2013. It took Rakeysh and Farhan a few years to collaborate again for Toofan. “This time, it was the other way around,” says Rakeysh, adding, “Farhan had a story in mind. It was written out. The screenplay had not been worked out till then. But when Farhan shared the thought with me, I liked it and we decided to work together on Toofan.”

After directing him in two extremely challenging films, Rakeysh believes that Farhan has raised the bar and broken barriers as an artiste. Rakeysh says, “He is a far more assured actor today. He was always a confident man. Not many know that I had offered him the role that went to Sidharth in Rang De Basanti. Farhan was amused when I sent him the script. He was a new-age director with Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya behind him. He and I would bump into each other at a club in Bandra. From my limited interactions with him, I could sense that he has an actor within. He’s always searching and is trying to get more out of himself in every film. This was 15 years ago. I had seen an actor in him right then. The journey he has had in these years tells you a lot about him as a person. No matter what you do, growth and constant change with positivity are very inspiring, and the hallmarks of a great personality.”