Sometime in 2000, Akshay Kumar was charged up about playing a Gandhian in pre-Independence India. Not only would Deepa Mehta's poignant exploration of the plight of widows give him a chance to work on an overseas project but also provide a welcome break from run-of-the-mill comic roles.
Unfortunately for the Singh is Kinng star, Water ran into all sorts of controversy with Hindu fundamentalists disrupting the film's shoot in Varanasi.
Mehta was left with no choice but scrap the project. Only she didn't. To deflect any attention whatsoever, she rechristened the film to River Moon and started filming with an all new cast in Sri Lanka.
Akki's loss turned into John Abraham gain after the latter replaced him to portray what turned out to be one his career best performances, also earning an Oscar nomination, besides several other international accolades, for Best Foreign Film.
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