Junaid Khan Shares Why He Wasn't Cast in Laal Singh Chaddha Despite Aamir Khan Praising His Audition: 'I Wasn't Selected Because...'

The conversation around the advantages and hurdles faced by star kids in the entertainment industry is ongoing. Junaid Khan, son of Bollywood legend Aamir Khan, acknowledges that his family name likely played a part in helping him land a role in the critically acclaimed historical drama Maharaj, which ultimately gave him his first significant break in the film industry. Without his father’s influence, Junaid admits, securing the role might have been far more challenging.

During an appearance on NDTV Yuva, Junaid spoke candidly about his struggles. When asked about the multiple rejections he faced before securing his first significant role, he explained, “I think, as actors, we are often testing for lots of things. Kabhi Kabhi kuch part aapko milte hain kuch nhi milte. It is true that Maharaj ke pehle maine kuch auditions diye the. Wo nahi hue uss waqt (At times you get some roles and you miss some. Yes, I did give auditions before Maharaj too. But they didn’t happen).”

Junaid also revealed that he auditioned for Laal Singh Chaddha, and when asked about it, he responded, “Yes, papa has already shared about it so I can say yes.” He elaborated that although Aamir Khan appreciated his audition, the film’s budget made it impossible for him to be cast. “The film was budgeted at a place jahan aap ek naye actor ke saath woh film nahi banaoge. Isliye mujhe nhi muka mila woh film karne ka (The film was budgeted at a level where you wouldn’t cast a new actor as the lead. So, I wasn’t selected for that film),” Junaid explained.

He went on to admit that his status as Aamir Khan’s son likely played a part in his securing the role in Maharaj. When asked about his absence from social media, Junaid shared, “I don’t know. It was never something that really excited me. In 2014, after my graduation, I was on Facebook but it never moved ahead from there.”

Directed by Sidharth P Malhotra and produced by Yash Raj Films, Maharaj also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Shalini Pandey, with a special appearance by Sharvari.

Looking ahead, Junaid Khan is set to collaborate with Khushi Kapoor in a film directed by Advait Chandan, the filmmaker behind Secret Superstar and Laal Singh Chaddha. Junaid had earlier hinted that the project is backed by a major production house.