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In the late 1980s, renowned Hindi filmmaker Dev Anand, known for his love of trying new things, set out to make a cricket-based film titled Awwal Number, a project that predated Aamir Khan's successful Lagaan. Given the genre's poor box office performance in the past, Dev decided to cast Aamir Khan as a young cricketer in the film.

The role of the senior, fading cricket star was offered to Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, who was then at the height of his international career and had just announced his retirement from the sport.

Dev Anand believed that casting Aamir alongside Imran would be a "casting coup," a term used to describe a highly desirable pairing of actors in a film. He was confident that the duo would become stars in their own right, with Imran eventually reaching the same level of stardom as legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. In his memoir, "Romancing with Life," Dev recounted the events leading up to Imran's involvement in the film.

Imran was initially hesitant to take on an acting role, as he had recently retired from cricket and was pursuing other ventures such as modelling. Dev Anand, however, was persistent in his persuasion, offering Imran a golden opportunity to become a major star in the industry. He even promised a premiere in Pakistan for Imran, hoping that the film would further enhance his status in India and abroad.

Despite Dev's assurances, Imran presented his own reasons for declining the role, including a significant political opportunity he was offered in Pakistan as a cultural minister by then-President Zia-ul-Haq. Dev Anand tried to convince Imran to reconsider but eventually received a note saying "No" from him. The role was instead given to Aditya Pancholi, resulting in a film that failed at the box office, much like Aamir Khan's subsequent early career struggles.