Actor Aamir Khan’s audition tapes for the role of Inspector Shyam Manohar, later played by Ravi Kishan in Laapataa Ladies, have gone viral on social media, with netizens claiming that Kishan did a better job than Aamir as the quirky cop of Suryamukhi village.

The audition video, originally shared by YouTube channel Aamir Khan Talkies, shows a khakee-clad Aamir delivering dialogues.

“Did you know Aamir Khan screen-tested to play Inspector Manohar in Laapataa Ladies? Watch this exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of his test,” reads the caption of the video shared by Aamir’s YouTube channel he launched on Wednesday.

Fans on social media pointed out that Kishan was perfect for the role and lauded the film’s makers for their decision of rejecting Aamir despite him being one of the producers.

“Would have taken down the movie... Thank you director for rejecting him,” one of them wrote. “Rejected from his own production! That's so professional and responsible for the project that they intend to do well,” another fan commented.

“Ravi Kishan nailed it!! Glad AK was rejected,” an X user tweeted. “OMG! Ravi Kishan's acting was God level,” a netizen commented.

A social media user took a jibe at the kind of roles Aamir usually takes up. “If Aamir does it, you all know that in the end he will turn out to be a good cop,” he wrote.

Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Kindling Pictures, and Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies is a satirical take on patriarchy in rural India. The film stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam and Geeta Aggarwal Sharma in key roles.

Based on a story by Biplab Goswami, with a screenplay and dialogues by Sneha Desai and additional dialogues by Divyanidhi Sharma, Laapataa Ladies follows two brides, Phool and Jaya, who are mistakenly swapped during a train journey.

Laapataa Ladies premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival before its release in Indian theaters on March 1, 2024. The film was India’s official entry in the best international feature film category at the 97th Academy Awards, but did not make it to the shortlist. Sandhya Suri’s Hindi film Santosh, representing the UK, had advanced to the next round.

Recently, at the IIFA awards, Laapataa Ladies swept major categories including best supporting actor for Ravi Kishan.