Did you know that Kunal Nayyar was offered a major role in the highest grossing Bollywood movie of a decade?
When Kunal Nayyar was making a mark with his portrayal of Rajesh Koothrapalli, he was brimming with fame and wanted to make more money. He led money got into his head and decided to go back to India and do Bollywood movies. He went with a major Bollywood director, who goes by the name Raju Hirani, who offered him a role in a movie called “3 Idiots.” However, he rejected. The movie went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters of Bollywood, and it was the highest grossing movie at that time.
“Funny enough, after the first year of TBBT, 3 Idiots came about and they were looking to cast someone from America. I flew to Bombay to meet Raju Hirani and had a wonderful time. But, things just didn’t work out. So, the opportunities were there and if I had moved here and started early, things could have come through.” Kunal said in a 2016 interview.
However, Kunal quickly came into his senses and decided that he should not let go of a role that is making him successful in the first place. He came back to US, and did Big Bang Theory for 10 more years, and made his mark as our adorable Rajesh Ramayan Koothrapalli.The $60 Million Mistake? Why Kunal Nayyar Walked Away from Bollywood’s Biggest Blockbuster