Aamir Khan to play 25-year-old in ‘Lalkaara’ after major weight loss

Aamir Khan is reportedly undergoing a significant weight-loss programme to play a 25-year-old in “Lalkaara”, his upcoming sports drama with director Ashutosh Gowariker.

According to Filmfare, Khan has begun a “massive weight-loss” regimen for the film, which is based around the historic 1952 India-Pakistan Test series. The report says the actor is preparing to convincingly portray a much younger character.

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The film marks Khan and Gowariker’s reunion 25 years after “Lagaan” (2001), their acclaimed cricket drama set against the backdrop of colonial India. “Lalkaara” is written by Piyush Gupta and Neeraj Singh and is expected to explore rivalry, friendship, Partition, and nationalism.

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Khan is no stranger to demanding physical transformations. For “Dangal” (2016), he famously gained substantial weight to portray wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat in his later years before losing weight to play the younger version of the character.

The new transformation reportedly reflects the demands of “Lalkaara”, although the filmmakers have yet to publicly detail the extent of Khan’s preparation.

The film has also undergone a reported casting change. Sidhant Gupta has been linked to the project following reports that Farhan Akhtar would no longer appear alongside Khan.

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However, Akhtar subsequently clarified that he was never officially cast as an actor in the film. “How do I exit a project when I had never even entered it officially?” he told Variety India, explaining that actors routinely discuss projects without ultimately signing on. He remains associated with “Lalkaara” as a producer through Excel Entertainment.

The film is based on the 1952 India-Pakistan Test series rather than being a conventional biopic, according to reports. Khan is expected to play legendary Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath, who became the first Indian to score a Test century in 1933.