- Gurmmeet Singh has explained why Jitendra Kumar stepped into the role of Bablu Pandit.
- The director said recasting the character helped the film explore a different side of Bablu.
- Gurmmeet also praised Jitendra for making the role his own without pressur
Jitendra Kumar stepping into the role of Bablu Pandit in Mirzapur: The Movie was one of the biggest casting changes in the franchise. Vikrant Massey first played the character in Season 1 of the popular Prime Video show, and his version of Bablu continues to be remembered by fans. So, what made the makers recast the role for the film?
Director Gurmmeet Singh has now shared his side of the story. He explained that bringing in a new actor was part of taking the story in a different direction. For him, the creative process could not be tied to what had already been done in the series.
“Creative process ki best cheez yeh hoti hai ki voh hume kabhi baandhe na. Ummeed hoti hai ki sab cheez same rahe, lekin voh nahi ho sakti. That should not bother anyone. Jab humne decide kiya ki Bablu ko re-cast karna hai, hum film ko ek naye tarike se approach kar rahe the. Iski vajah se humare liye naye doors open ho gaye,” Gurmmeet Singh told Zoom.
Gurmmeet also believes the Bablu seen in the film has more to do than the character audiences met in Season 1. He pointed out that the earlier version did not have much personal agency, while the film allowed the character to have his own ambitions and plans.
He said, “Season 1 mein Bablu ka koi agenda nahi tha, apni personal agency nahi thi. Film mein hum dikha paye ki Bablu ke ambitions hain, plan hain, uski apni ek soch hain and just Jitendra coming on board and the fact that he made us comfortable. With his confidence, he made Bablu his Bablu. We cannot be more blessed and thankful to him. It has come out and worked so well.”
Jitendra is joined by the original Mirzapur cast, including Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Rasika Dugal, Sheeba Chaddha and Shweta Tripathi. Ravi Kishan is also among the new additions to the film.
Mirzapur: The Movie was released on September 4.