When Aamir Khan met Mahavir Singh Phogat

Aamir Khan met wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat in Ludhiana before beginning the shooting for Dangal. Dangal is based on the life of former Phogat.

On Monday (September 21), in Ludhiana, Punjab, the shooting of Aamir Khan’s next, which is said to be based on the life of former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, started with the mahurat shot.

Along with the cast and crew of Dangal that is being directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the entire Phogat family, including Mahavir, was present for the mahurat shot. "Aamir had a long chat with the wrestler and his family members. Siddharth Roy Kapur, the producer of the movie, also joined the team for the first shot," says a source from the film’s unit. "Aamir has gained 35kg for the role. In fact, he recently shared the first poster of the film on various social media platforms," adds the source.



Aamir Khan will be shooting Dangal for the next three months in Ludhiana.

It was rumoured that actors like Kangana Ranaut, Tapsee Pannu, Urvashi Rautela or Mallika Sherawat will play the role of Aamir’s daughters in Dangal. However, the filmmakers decided to go for newbies Fatima Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra for the coveted roles after months of auditions. "We auditioned a lot of girls and have finalised Fatima Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra. We tested them and they are very good. These two young girls are very talented. These girls are training in wrestling," Aamir said. Fatima is a Mumbai girl and has acted in TV and films while Sanya, a Delhiite, is a trained ballet dancer.

Aamir Khan with former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his family in Ludhiana, Punjab.