India, May 15 -- When Peter Jackson made the Lord of the Rings trilogy, not many supported what was seen as a 'crazy idea'. The books were considered hard literature, and many called them unfilmable. The plan of doing all three films back-to-back was also seen as excessive. On top of it all, the shoot took place almost entirely in New Zealand, thousands of miles away from Hollywood. Naturally, many top stars did not come on board. But the one who regretted it the most was former James Bond star and screen icon Sean Connery. The actor rejected the offer to play Gandalf in the films, and along with it, a multi-million dollar paycheck.

Sir Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. As one of the most recognisable...