Mirzapur: The Movie retained the characters from the popular Prime Video show of the same title. Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Rasika Dugal and many others reprised their iconic roles for the big-screen adaptation. However, Jitendra Kumar replaced Vikrant Massey, who played Bablu Pandit in the first season of Mirzapur. His performance in the film received mixed response as a section of the audience missed the depth Vikrant brought to the character. Director Gurmmeet Singh has a different perception regarding this. In an exclusive interview with Zoom after the release of Mirzapur: The Movie, he said creative processes should never limit or impact the casting.
Gurmmeet Singh breaks silence on Vikrant Massey’s absence from Mirzapur: The Movie
Gurmmeet, who also directed the series franchise, told Zoom exclusively, “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.”
Vikrant Massey; Jitendra Kumar
Gurmmeet Singh praises Jitendra Kumar for becoming Bablu effortlessly
He further added, “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.”
Vikrant Massey’s review of Mirzapur: The Movie
Recently, was at an event where he spoke about Mirzapur: The Movie. The actor encouraged the audience to watch the film in theatres. He said, “Go watch the film; it has been well made.”
About Mirzapur: The Movie
The story of is set in 2018, when Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) instructs Guddu (Ali Fazal) and Bablu (Jitendra Kumar) to kill the son of an ally after he switches sides and cheats him. Kaleen’s trust in the Pandit brothers bothers his son Munna (Divyenndu). The entry of Babban (Ravi Kishan) brings the three men together, and their banter and clashes form an important part of the story.
Mirzapur: The Movie has already crossed the Rs 50 crore mark at the box office. The film released on September 4 and opened to positive reactions from the audience.