When Shah Rukh Khan was at the peak of his popularity, he rejected this political drama, which became a cult classic. The movie went to another superstar, who has made the film iconic. It is none other than Nayak: The Real Hero, starring Anil Kapoor in the lead role.
For the unversed, Nayak: The Real Hero became a flop at the time of its release but gained popularity on television. It is now considered a cult classic due to its political theme and the vision of the betterment of India. Apart from Anil Kapoor, the movie also stars Rani Mukerji, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, and Johnny Lever in the pivotal roles. It is the remake of 'Mudhalvan', the 1999 Tamil film.
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Nayak: The Real Hero follows Shivaji Rao, a television cameraman, who later becomes a television presenter. He accidentally hears and records a conversation between the police and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Balraj Chauhan. When he interviews Chauhan regarding the issues, Shivaji is challenged to take over the chief minister's job for a day.
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The movie became a commercial failure at the time of its release. It is also Shankar's first Bollywood film. As per reports, Aamir Khan was also considered to play the lead role. Shah Rukh Khan reportedly rejected the role as he had already played a television presenter in his film 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'.