Farhan Akhtar is a man who flaunts multiple feathers in his hat. Apart from being a successful director and producer, he has also shown off his acting prowess in multiple roles. After starting off his career as a filmmaker with Dil Chahta Hai, which went on to become a cult classic, Farhan stepped into the acting shoes in 2008’s Rock On!!, and again gained a lot of praise and recognition.
During the recent episode of Sit With Hitlist, Farhan opened up about the success of his directorial debut as well as his acting debut. He went on to reveal a heart-warming incident about how Salim Khan expressed his admiration for his acting after his debut.
Salim Khan gave Farhan Akhtar his Filmfare award
When asked about a rumour that veteran actor and writer Salim Khan sent him a letter after watching his performance in Rock On!! To this, Farhan clarified, “It`s beyond gracious of him. He saw the film, invited me to his house, and gave me his Filmfare Award for Zanjeer. He said, ‘We had got this for our first film that broke out, and I absolutely loved your performance, and I want you to have this award of mine.”
Further elaborating on the success of the film, he shared, “That film did really well. The film did well and for everyone, for Arjun (Rampal), for Abhishek (Kapoor), for Purab (Kohli), for Prachi (Desai), for everyone, it did really well.”
Rock On!! was more than just an acting debut for Farhan Akhtar
When asked about how the acting offer came through for him, given his inexperience in the acting space. He says, “I`ve known him for many, many years, and he was convinced. He was absolutely convinced that I had to be the guy. He was absolutely convinced that I had to sing my own songs.”
He shared how Abhishek had no idea about Farhan’s singing talents, saying, “He didn`t even know that I played guitar. He didn`t know. He had no knowledge. He said, ‘We`ll practice and we`ll get you a teacher.’So I said, ‘No, no, I play.’ He was clear about that.”
Farhan added, “He (Abhishek) said, ‘I want you to sing.’” Farhan reveals how Rock On!! wasn’t just his acting debut, but also his singing debut.
