Shweta Tripathi Sharma, who has been playing Golu Gupta in the Mirzapur franchise, has backed Jitendra Kumar for taking up the much-loved role of Bablu Pandit and creating his own version of the character. This comes after many were initially sceptical when Jitendra was cast in Mirzapur: The Movie, with many fans questioning the decision to replace Vikrant Massey, who played the role in the original Prime Video series. But once the film came out and became a box-office success, the reaction seems to have changed. The film also has Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu and Ali Fazal reprising their parts, along with Ravi Kishan joining the project.
Jitendra Kumar did justice to Bablu
Shweta Tripathi told NDTV that it was definitely a challenge to fill in for an actor so deeply associated with a character. “What Jeetu has done is not easy. On Mirzapur, we are a family. We could be intimidating, we all have been together for nine years. But he made a full Bablu-type entry. We didn’t come to know how he managed to pull it off,” Shweta said, praising his performance.
According to her, Jeetu is now “part of our core group.” The bond appears to be more than just about shooting, as Shweta joked that Jitendra even cooks for them. They work and party together. “He makes fantastic mutton! He has done full justice to a different version of Bablu and not taken away anything from (Vikrant) Massey. He is a fantastic actor, which all of us know,” she shared.
Her comments come after Jitendra’s casting became a talking point among fans when they were used to Vikrant as Bablu Pandit.
Vikrant Massey has been replaced by Jitendra Kumar as Bablu Pandit in Mirzapur: The Movie
He was welcomed with open arms
Shweta also shared that she already had a connection with Jitendra before their reunion in .The two actors had previously collaborated in the 2019 film Gone Kesh. “Our chemistry was very loved in Gone Kesh and I wanted to work with him again after that film. It was my birthday when we were finishing the shoot of Gone Kesh and he sent me a plant as a gift in a very cute pot. We still have that plant.”
She said that Jitendra is a person who people can easily connect with and that her welcome to him in the Mirzapur cast was not just hers. She said that the whole ensemble adopted him. “He is one of those people with whom you just connect. Jeetu is one of those people. It’s not just me, the entire cast welcomed him with open arms,” the actress claimed.
Jitendra Kumar with Divyenndu and Ali Fazal during Mirzapur: The Movie promotions
Has Vikrant Massey been replaced?
Director Gurmmeet Singh also weighed in on the recasting of Bablu, saying the change was because of the film’s creative direction. Talking to Zoom, Singh said the creative process shouldn’t be bogged down by the expectation that all should be the same as the original series. So the decision was more about taking the Mirzapur story forward in a new direction, rather than trying to repeat what the audience has already seen, the director said.
is an extension of the hit Amazon Prime Video series, which launched in 2018. It arrived in theatres on September 4, 2026, and has been doing well at the box office.