Shoojit Sircar is one of the finest filmmakers of Bollywood. His notable films include Piku, Vicky Donor, and Gulabo Sitabo, among others. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana marked his Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor alongside Yami Gautam. However, did you know that neither Ayushmann Khurrana nor Annu Kapoor were Shoojit Sircar’s first choice? Read on to know more.
Shoojit Sircar Opened Up On The Casting Process
In an interview with Unfiltered with Samdish, Shoojit shared some interesting insights into the casting process of his film Vicky Donor. He shared, “I went to an A-lister actor before Ayushmann Khurrana with the film. I wouldn’t take names because professionally it’s not good to do so. He laughed and said no, reasoning that it’s mainstream. In fact, I went to one more and got the same reaction. If something like this happens a lot, I don’t feel good. So, we moved on.”
Shoojit Sircar’s First Meeting With Ayushmann Khurrana
A casting director friend from Delhi, who’s worked on all my films, asked if I’d like to meet a newcomer—someone who had done Roadies and was into theatre,” Sircar recalled. “I had never seen him before and didn’t even know what Roadies was. But when I met Ayushmann, I liked him right away. He took the script home to read it. We were looking for someone who could improvise and naturally speak in Delhi slang—and that’s exactly what he brought to the table.
Shoojit Sircar Approached Om Puri For Dr. Baldev Chaddha’s Role
Shoojit also mentioned that he initially approached Om Puri for the role of Dr. Baldev Chaddha, which was eventually played by Annu Kapoor. He continued, “I was meeting him for the first time; he was a star by then. At that time he was going through some issues, so I don’t think he could give much time to that script, which I could sense during the first meeting. He was a little disoriented. I met him again, and he said, ‘Script toh thik hai, lekin Bollywood mein tum yeh karoge?’ Mere liye shooting ke time problem ho jati hai; he looked uncomfortable with the subject. Then, I thought of Annu Kapoor. He was so enthusiastic and excited about his look and the script. It was like a second innings for him. He was unbelievable in the film, and he actually looked like Dr. Baldev Chaddha.”
Shoojit Sircar On Film’s Budget & Wedding Scene
Sircar also opened up about the film’s tight budget and how the wedding scene came together. “I made the film in around 4–5 crores and even invested my own fees into it,” he revealed. “We didn’t set up a wedding scene from scratch. I went to a venue in Chattarpur and requested the hosts to let us shoot for a few hours after their wedding had ended. Ek raat mein shoot kar liya tha woh pura scene. Dost logon ko bola tha Bengali friends leke aana shaadi mein guest banne ke liye,” he added.
