Manoj Bajpayee reacts to Rang De Basanti rumour, drops sarcastic ‘matlab kuch bhi’ tweet

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has firmly denied claims suggesting he was originally cast in Rang De Basanti before Aamir Khan came on board. The actor responded on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday with sarcasm and humour, pushing back against the viral buzz triggered by a recent interview.

The speculation began after screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey spoke on a YouTube show hosted by Ravya Sarda. During the chat, Kamlesh claimed that Manoj had been signed for the role eventually played by Aamir Khan in the 2006 hit film. “We had been roaming around with the script of the film for 6 years, and no one was ready to make that film. We had signed Manoj for the role that Aamir played finally,” Kamlesh said.

He added, “We thought we would make a small film; we didn’t have a big budget. The moment Aamir heard the script, he told us that he wanted to do the film, and he even got AR Rahman to come on the project. UTV, who had rejected the film twice in the past, immediately said yes to it.”

Reacting to these statements, Manoj reposted one such report and wrote, “Matlab kuch bhi 😂”, expressing disbelief. He followed it up with another tweet that read, “And who is the producer who said this? Naam to bata!! SM pe itne khali lota le ke baithe hai.” In the tweet, he appeared to call out the tendency of people spreading baseless gossip on social media.

Rang De Basanti, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, released in 2006 and became a cult classic. The film told the story of a group of carefree Delhi youth who become politically awakened and take drastic action against government corruption. Aamir Khan’s performance, along with the music by AR Rahman, played a major role in its critical and commercial success.

While Kamlesh Pandey’s version added an unexpected twist to the film’s casting history, Manoj Bajpayee has made it clear—he’s not taking the claim seriously. His sharp tweets have ended the rumour mill, at least for now.