Shoaib Akhtar Turned Down Bollywood Stardom

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has disclosed that he was once close to entering the Bollywood film industry. He recalled being approached for a role in the movie Gangster and also mentioned a film offer extended to him by actor Salman Khan.

Akhtar shared these revelations during a recent talk show appearance. He indicated that while he had considered acting, particularly during a period of better India-Pakistan relations, he soon realized the difficulty of balancing cricket with a film career.

Clarifying the Gangster offer, Akhtar specified it was not for Emraan Hashmi's character, but for another role. He noted that filmmakers often saw him as a natural fit for villainous roles.

Ultimately, Akhtar determined that he could not dedicate the necessary time to both cricket, which involved extensive training and matches, and film shoots. He explained that managing simultaneous careers in two different industries, each with its own pressures like fitness and ensuring a film's success, was not feasible for him.