You could say Farhan is trading one kind of heat for another. There is some noise about him being in the frame as a Pakistani cricketer in the new one from Aamir and Ashutosh. It’s well-timed, the kind of thing that has fans thinking there is more to it than a simple walk-on part.
A high-voltage reunion with a twist
Get Gowariker and Aamir in the same room and you have an audience. They are putting that together again after Lagaan (2001). But what really holds your attention is the subject: we are looking at Lala Amarnath, the first captain of independent India, with the Partition as our setting.
According to one source, they are mulling over an extended cameo for Akhtar. Nothing is in stone, but it is a part with some emotional heft to it.
Beyond the boundary: friendship under fire
Don’t expect a movie where cricket is just window dressing. What you are getting is a relationship put to the test by the times: Lala and the friend who made his home in Pakistan once the country was divided.
Akhtar is in the running to be that friend, a well-regarded cricketer from the other side. Put him in the role and you give a period piece a bit of a pulse.
The Lala Amarnath canvas
He is more than an entry in a record. Back in December 1933, Lala put up India’s first Test century and would later be the man to lead the side for the newly independent nation.
Put his tale in the context of Partition and you see the legend in a new light. You will have pride and a tinge of sadness, with the hard lines of nationality clashing with old loyalties.
Farhan’s double play: producer, and maybe player
He is already on the credits as a co-producer with Aamir Khan Productions. Now there is talk of him in front of the lens, and the fans are making some of it.
Ritesh Sidhwani and he run Excel Entertainment, but this is a chance to do a bit of both. Should he come on board, it won’t be a throwaway appearance.
Don 3 row sets a charged backdrop
While this one is in the works, Akhtar is in the news for something else. He has made a formal grievance with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees against Ranveer Singh, and on Monday a non-cooperation order was put out for the actor.
It is being put around that Akhtar is after Rs 45 crore from Singh to make up for pre-production losses when the actor bailed. That makes you pay a little more attention to what he does next.
Why fans are talking
You put the Lagaan team back together after 20-odd years and you have an occasion. Add in a friend from the Partition days, a name like Lala, and a possible Farhan in a Pakistani kit, and people can’t help but talk.
It is also a smart move. For the rest of us, we are left to wonder not only if he will do it, but what it says about where he is at right now.
Here is what to keep an eye on:
– When the studio puts a stamp on Akhtar’s part
– Who they put in Lala’s orbit
– Where the Don 3 matter is heading
What this could mean
He takes the part and he is seen as a storyteller above the ruckus. It gives the film a leg up, for the cricket crowd and the ones who miss the Lagaan days alike.
If not, it is still a solid project. But with him in it, you might have something that is hard to ignore.
Bottom line
Things are moving on the film, the offer is there, and the trade is on to it. After a week of Don 3 headlines, Farhan may very well have the last word with a bat, a pal, and a divide that is still felt.
