Actor Rajesh Khattar, who has appeared in films like Don, Sooryavansham, Khiladi 786, among others, recently recalled when Farhan Akhtar brought him on board for Don. Rajesh played the role of Singhania, who was supposed to be the boss of Shah Rukh Khan’s character in the film. Rajesh said that he had certain misgivings about the character and wasn’t fully convinced with the way he was styled, and was being presented in the film. When he shared his doubts with Farhan, the director told him that he was cast because they wanted someone who could pull off being Shah Rukh’s boss.
In a chat with the YouTube channel Friday Talkies, he recalled that he was called in to audition for a different character, and when he got to know that he was being cast, he assumed it would be for the same role that he auditioned for. He further recalled that his character Singhania wasn’t a part of the original film and shared, “Don was a remake, but Singhania wasn’t a part of the original film. The other characters were all there. So I didn’t know anything about Singhania.”
He said that at one point, there was some chatter that Singhania might not even be in the film. “Then at one point, I think Javed saab was also involved with Farhan, if I am remembering correctly, there some conversation that Singhania might not be a part of the script,” he said. Rajesh said that even during the shoot, he was not satisfied because he wanted the larger role.
“Then, all my clothes and shoes were white so I thought I am looking like Ajit, the veteran actor. I thought that whatever is happening, it’s not correct. So during the shoot, I spoke to Farhan. I asked him ‘do you think I could not do that role?’ He said ‘no. Who said you couldn’t do it? The point is, who would do Singhania?’ He was thinking that if I am casting Shah Rukh Khan’s boss then I can’t have the regular people who are playing villains. Farhan explained that he chose the costume because the screen time is less and the impact has to be there. Honestly, I did not understand all of this then,” he shared.
Rajesh said that at one point, he was “fighting” with Aki Narula, who was doing the costumes of the film because he was unhappy with the costumes. He shared that he asked Shah Rukh Khan about the best song of the film, and was told it would be “Aaj Ki Raat” but he just wouldn’t believe it. “I asked Shah Rukh, ‘Which is the best song in the film?’ He said ‘Aaj Ki Raat’. And I was wondering ‘Khai Ke Paan Banaras Vala’, and ‘Yeh Mera Dil’ are there in the film, how can this be the best song?’ But all of them were right,” he said.
Rajesh said that at this point, Singhania has become synonymous with him. For several years after Don, he was repeatedly offered the same parts and found himself being pigeonholed.
