Not Shah Rukh Khan, but THIS actor was the first choice to play coach Kabir Khan in 'Chak De! India'

Did you know Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Rukh Khan was not the first choice for Shimit Amin's blockbuster hit sports drama, Chak de! India. 

Well, it might come as a shock to many who were left in awe of SRK's performance as coach Kabir Khan, but the fact is, it was only after another Khan refused the film that SRK landed the role that many now feel was one of his career-best. 

Wouldn't you want to know which of the Khans had been offered the role before SRK? Well, it was none other than the Bhaijaan of Bollywood, Salman Khan. 

Now, one must wonder what made Bhaijaan reject this remarkable movie which was produced by Aditya Chopra under the YRF banner. 

At a promotional event for his movie Sultan, Salman spilled the beans and explained in great detail about giving up the film. 

He mentioned jokingly, "I left it because even Shah Rukh Khan should be a part of a few great films." 

Brushing the humour aside, he revealed the real reason, "When I was offered Chak De, my image for totally different as I was doing Partner and all this kind of films. My only thing in Chak De was that my fans would expect me to wear a wig and win the match for India, which would not go for the film. That was not my genre at that point in time. It was a more serious kind of film and I was doing more of a commercial kind of cinema, which I am still doing. I would never move out of the commercial cinema zone, but it is just that there would be a lot of meaningful cinema in the commercial zone."

The 2007 film showcased a hockey player who finds his redemption after hitting his career-low in training a motley group of people who form a women's hockey team. It garnered a lot of accolades and was critically acclaimed, which also became one of the highest-grossing films that year. 

At the moment, Salman Khan is all set for the release of his upcoming movie Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai slated to hit OTT and the theatres on May 13, while SRK is caught up with his upcoming project, Pathan, which apparently will release in hit the screens in 2022.