Disney is struggling to find an actor to play Aladdin. Here's why

The story of Aladdin, princess Jasmine and the lovable and mischievous Genie has captured the interest of generations. Over the years, these characters have moved out of the pages of books, on to television and the big screen. While Disney's 1992 animated version of Aladdin's adventures will remain an all-time favourite, there was an added excitement in the air when the studio announced its plans to bring out a live-action feature film. That means, real actors as Aladdin and co.

The sad news, however, is that director Guy Ritchie and the Disney studio have hit a roadblock—they are finding it difficult to find the right man to play Aladdin. This, despite having sent out a global casting call in March. According to reports, the studio has already auditioned over 2,000 actors from across the world, but none has worked the magic to convince director Ritchie.

Though the names of Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed are being floated, nothing has been finalised. It is said the studio is on the lookout for fresh faces who can 'sing and dance' to play the Arabian character. While Naomi Scott and Indian actress Tara Sutaria are being considered for the role of Jasmine, that, too, will not be confirmed until the studio finds the perfect Aladdin to pair with Jasmine. Will Smith has been cast as Genie, who was immortalised by the voice of late actor Robin Williams in the 1992 animation.

Ritchie and his team have reached out to international casting director Tess Joseph who is known for discovering gems like Sunny Pawar (Lion) to find a suitable face. While Disney is struggling, Twitter users have pitched in with suggestions that range from Hrithik Roshan to Siddharth Malhotra, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and Canadian Avan Jogia. "There is a literally an entire second most populous country in the world with an industry of men who sing and dance,” wrote a Twitter user.

That said, why is it so difficult for Disney's smart team to find their Aladdin? It is not so easy. This is why:

No cultural misrepresentation: Hollywood has a long history of whitewashing Asian or Middle Eastern roles, be it casting Jake Gyllenhall in Prince of Asia or Matt Damon in the The Great Wall which was all about Chinese history. Disney probably doesn't want to repeat the mistake. It is commendable that the studio is trying to be sensitive to the issue. Has Disney looked at the talented Rami Malek, Danny Pudi known for his role Abed Nadir on TV show Community or Abdullah Afzal from Citizen Khan?

Or how about Surej Sharma of the Life of Pi fame? That said, ideally a Middle Eastern actor should portray the role of Aladdin, as some Twitter users rightly put it.

Broadway-style singing?: The team needs a man who can sing and dance, that, too exceptionally. In the official Facebook page of Tess Joseph, a post reads: '...you need to sing like a dream. So, get a karaoke version of Whole New World from the Disney animation film and try to sing it better than the original.' Woah! Too much of an expectation? How many of our gifted actors can croon in a way that matches these standards? Good luck with that.

Rigid age restrictions: Though Indians are throwing suggestions at Disney, chances are slim that any of these Bollywood superstars will make it to the list. A rigid age bracket of 19-23 years makes the casting call all the more difficult. While in Bollywood we have fifty-something-year-olds playing the role of college students, that's not how it works in Hollywood. The message is loud and clear in Tess Joseph's post which reads: 'This is a role for a 19-23 year old actor (legal age - no "looks like" entries).' This rules out most Bollywood stars. In fact, Dev Patel is 27 and Riz Ahmed is 34 years old.

While this is a really tough task, hats off to Disney for sticking to their guns to find an actor who will blend into the role, even it means a delay in the film's schedule.

All the best with the hunt, Disney!