May 28, 2026 10:00am IST
Aamir Khan Allots Dates For Ashutosh Gowariker Film, Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘3 Idiots’ Sequel to Roll In Mid-2027 (EXCLUSIVE)
Aamir Khan has locked his next project. The actor has formally allotted dates for Ashutosh Gowariker's next sports drama, postponing Rajkumar Hirani's “3 Idiots” sequel to mid-2027, Variety India has learned.
According to sources, Khan had both projects in mind for his immediate next, but recently chose to prioritize Gowariker's film, based on the historic 1952 India-Pakistan Test Series. The actor has instructed the team to start full-scale pre-production with plans to kick off shooting by October or November 2026. Although the director had already initiated soft preparations, the project has now moved into an accelerated development phase. Tech recce will begin shortly and casting is also formally underway.
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Sources say Farhan Akhtar, who's also producing the film under his and Ritesh Sidhwani's banner Excel Entertainment, has also been confirmed in a pivotal role. He will apparently be essaying one of four close friends of Aamir Khan, who plays legendary Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath. Both actors are expected to undergo extensive cricket training as part of their preparation for the film.
Insiders claim that Khan prioritized the Ashutosh Gowariker film over “4 Idiots” mainly due to script readiness. The sports drama already has a bound script, written by Piyush Gupta and Neeraj Singh, and all it requires now is final refinements, a process he is already actively involved in. In contrast, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi are still writing the script. Although the core story is locked, the screenplay and dialogues are still work-in-progress. Sources indicate that they have finished three to four drafts but the actor remains dissatisfied with the current version and has requested another rewrite.
Aamir Khan is widely known for his meticulous approach to storytelling and prefers thoroughly polished screenplay and dialogue drafts before committing fully to a project. Khan and Hirani's Dadasaheb Phalke biopic is believed to have been shelved only because they couldn't crack an ideal screenplay that matched the strength of the subject matter.
The postponement of the “3 Idiots” sequel, however, is believed to be a mutual decision, taken only to ensure it meets the sky-high expectations attached to the project. It was also a swift decision considering Hirani is also involved in the Lala Amarnath project. The filmmaker is co-producing this film alongside Excel Entertainment.
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