‘I was too good looking for it’: Gauahar Khan on losing out on Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire even after five rounds of auditions
The actress also spoke about how director Shimit Amin made sure she wore ‘jarring' make-up to fit the character in Yash Raj Films' Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.
Bollywood actress Gauahar Khan needs no introduction! She has played some memorable characters on screen and has also been a participant in a couple of reality shows, including Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss.
In a conversation with a leading entertainment portal, Khan opened up about losing out on a big-ticket project because of her looks. She revealed that she had done five rounds of auditions for acclaimed filmmaker Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which had Freida Pinto and Dev Patel on the primary cast.
The actress said, “One of the biggest projects I lost in my life was because I was too good looking for it, and it was Slumdog millionaire. I have met Danny Boyle, and I have done five rounds of auditions for it. After the fifth round, he said, ‘You are a fantastic actor. Are you sure you are trained in India?’ At that time, I had hardly any experience, and I said, ‘I’ve trained in India’. He said, ‘You speak like an actor who is from out of India, not from India, so how do you have this experience?’ I said, ‘Sir, I don’t know, I just try and do it every single day’. He said, ‘You are such a fab actor but somehow, I won’t be able to cast you here because I have to match three age groups and I can’t place you in a Slumdog Millionaire with your face. I said, ‘I can be in a slum’.”
Khan added that she does not regret missing out on the opportunity of working with Boyle. The director praised her and thought that she was ‘a great actor’ meant a lot to her.
The actress also spoke about how director Shimit Amin made sure she wore ‘jarring’ make-up to fit the character in Yash Raj Films’ Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, starring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role.
“In Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, the endeavour was to make me not so good-looking. Shimit Sir would say put more pink colour on her eyes and cheeks and put more jarring lipstick on her because that was the look, the character. She was not meant to look super good-looking… Shimit Sir would still say ‘she’s still looking too pretty, put more make-up on her’,” Gauahar stated.
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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