In what was kept undisclosed for the past three or so decades, actor Nasserudin Shah opens up on why he was not ‘Gandhi’ in the internationally acclaimed Gandhi. Way back, in the early 1980’s, the Indian film fraternities got a reason to rejoice. The buzz that the young and talented Nasserudin Shah had been selected to play the role of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in an International film titled ‘Gandhi’ created a buzz of excitement in Bollywood.

But the excitement died without much ado and soon people realized that it was not Nasserudin Shah but Ben Kingsley who would be giving life to the character of Gandhi. Ben Kingsley and the director Richard Attenborough swept umpteen number of academy awards for their work in this film. On the whole ‘Gandhi’ won eight Oscars.

Now for the first time ever Naseerudin Shah has opened up to the media on why he never got to play the one role that would have taken him to great heights. Get to know the facts from the veteran’s own words:  The actor said “I realized quite quickly that I was never in the running for it seriously. Ben Kingsley had been cast. I did not speak to a soul about it. The rumour had it that I had got the part, it was on the front page of the newspaper. This is when I was going to London.

At Shepard Studios I met Ben Kingsley and the moment I saw him, I said “Forget It”. So far I had been very cocky because I had been thinking – “Where is he going to find an actor who looks like Gandhiji”. And there he was- Ben Kingsley. And some kind of test was conducted and I was given a ticket back home. But I knew Ben Kingsley looks more like Gandhiji. I met him, talked to him for a while, watched his audition and I saw he was very good.

I do not think I would have suited the role too. I could not have delivered at that age. I was too young”.

But now with immense experience and the age factor by his side, Nasserudin Shah is undoubtedly a rare a gem that Bollywood has ever seen.