Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput had spent six months preparing for Paani when Yash Raj Films (YRF) decided not to move ahead with him. The movie, which had been in the works for years, never even reached the production stage. Yes, you read that right!

Let's find out all about this ambitious 2014 project.

Directed by Shekhar Kapur, Paani was set in 2050 against the backdrop of a severe global water crisis. The futuristic movie was initially associated with actor Hrithik Roshan before Sushant Singh Rajput was signed to play the lead.

In 2014, there was renewed excitement around the project as reports suggested that Paani would finally go on floors. However, that never happened. Why? The production house under Aditya Chopra decided against moving forward with Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead.

Shekhar Kapur later opened up about the Bollywood movie's fate in an interview with The Lallantop. He revealed that he and Sushant Singh Rajput had already been working on the character for months when the decision was taken.

"I couldn’t even start Paani’s production. By the time YRF decided that they wouldn’t cast Sushant, I had already been rehearsing with him for six months."

The filmmaker also recalled the actor's dedication to the role. Sushant Singh Rajput was deeply involved in the preparation and would rehearse several times.

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(Image: Instagram/@sushantsinghrajput)

The cancellation was reportedly difficult for both of them. 

Shekhar Kapur had earlier spoken about the emotional impact of Paani being shelved. In the same conversation, he recalled the moment Sushant Singh Rajput found out that he would no longer be part of the ambitious project. 

"Jab film bandh ho gayi and he realised he wasn't doing the film, bohot roya woh. Main bhi roya. Woh rota tha toh main bhi rota tha saath-saath because I was also passionately and deeply involved with it. Humari zindagiyaan hi kuch aisi hoti hai - ups and downs."

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Even though Paani was never made, the filmmaker has not completely closed the door on it. He has expressed hope that the movie could still be made someday.

The scale of Paani was also evident from the team Shekhar Kapur had assembled. The project was being developed with an international crew, including Andrew Niccol, the Oscar-nominated writer of The Truman Show, and production designer John Myhre, who won Oscars for Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. India’s Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman was also associated with this movie.

For Sushant, Paani could have been one of the most ambitious movies of his career. But despite months of preparation and a team built around the futuristic story, it remained stuck.

FAQ

1. What was the 2014 movie Paani about?

Paani was a futuristic film where global warming led to water shortages.

2. Why was Sushant Singh Rajput's Paani shelved?

Paani was shelved following years of development after YRF didn't want to cast Sushant Singh Rajput. Shekhar Kapur also cited creative differences.

3. Will Paani be revived again?

Shekhar Kapur, who was supposed to helm the sci-fi movie, hopes to revive it someday.