Aditya N
Aditya N
Nayak, a political thriller drama featuring Anil Kapoor, is considered a cult film. Rani Mukerji also stars in the lead role. Interestingly, there are plans for Nayak 2 with the same actors in the lead. However, it may surprise you that Anil Kapoor was not the initial choice. Shah Rukh Khan was offered the role first and even signed on, but due to creative differences, he did not end up working on the film.
During a previous interview, Shah Rukh Khan revealed that he had agreed to star in Nayak and received a mere one rupee as the signing amount. He shared, “Did he (Shankar) also inform you that I signed the film for him and accepted only one rupee as payment? Can you believe it? I took just one rupee from him and assured him I would provide him with bulk dates whenever required.” The renowned actor expressed his deep respect for the Tamil original and then explained why he ultimately decided against doing the Hindi remake. “However, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of doing the Hindi version. I conveyed to Shankar that while the concept of becoming a chief minister for a day worked brilliantly in Tamil, I didn’t perceive it as such a significant issue in North India. I didn’t believe the concept would resonate in the same way. Therefore, we had some differences on that project – nothing major, just a few divergent opinions – so it didn’t make sense to proceed with it.” Nayak, directed by S. Shankar, was released in 2001.
Meanwhile, the latest news from the inside circles suggests that Nayak will have a sequel. Siddharth and Mamta Anand, from Marflix Pictures, will produce Nayak 2. Like the original film, this one is a large-scale commercial entertainer directed by Milan Luthria with a political backdrop. The filmmakers have developed a storyline that naturally progresses towards a Nayak sequel, with a strong vigilante theme,” a source close to the project revealed. Nayak, a political thriller, was a remake of director Shankar’s Tamil film Mudhalvan. The movie became popular when it became a television staple, aired repeatedly for many years. Starring Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, and Johnny Lever.
