Not Varun, but Irrfan, Nawazuddin were first picks for 'Badlapur'
What's the story
Sriram Raghavan, known for films like Ek Hasina Thi, shared in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla that Varun Dhawan was not the first choice for Badlapur.
While writing the film, he had "serious" actors like Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in mind.
However, the 2015 action thriller later became a box office success with Dhawan's powerful performance.
Raghavan credited producer Dinesh Vijan for suggesting a younger actor, which led to Dhawan's casting in the lead role.
Dark theme
Vijan insisted that the story should not be diluted
Raghavan shared that he had narrated the idea of Badlapur to his brother Shridhar Raghavan, but Shridhar warned him because it was too dark.
But he was still determined, so he narrated the story to Vijan.
The producer loved the idea but insisted that the story should not be diluted.
When asked about the lead actor, Raghavan mentioned that Saif Ali Khan was not an option since Agent Vinod had not performed well. Otherwise, he would have considered him, too.
Casting decision
How Dhawan got on board
It was during this discussion that Vijan suggested casting someone younger, like Dhawan. The suggestion initially surprised Raghavan, but he soon realized it made sense.
Coincidentally, on the same day, Dhawan happened to call the producer. They decided to arrange a meeting where Raghavan narrated the story.
Dhawan connected well with the story and asked if he could do justice to the role. Raghavan encouraged him, and things were finalized quickly.
And that's how the Dishoom actor got on board.