Not Irrfan, this actor was the first choice for 'Haasil'
Director Tigmanshu Dhulia recently revealed that the late actor Irrfan Khan was not the original choice for the 2003 film Haasil. In a recent interview with Mashable India, Dhulia shared that he initially approached Manoj Bajpayee for the role. However, Bajpayee declined the offer as he did not want to play a negative character. The role eventually went to Khan, marking a turning point in his career.
'First person I approached wasn't Irrfan Khan'
Dhulia said, "To be honest, the first person I approached for Haasil wasn't Irrfan Khan, it was Manoj Bajpayee. Very few people know this." He added, "Manoj Bajpayee had become a star by this time as Satya had released. I was friends with him too. We all used to hangout the whole day together." "It was all destiny. There was no plotting or maneuvering."
'Manoj said he won't play the villain's role'
Dhulia recalled that Bajpayee was shooting for the 2000 film Ghaath when he approached him for Haasil. "I narrated him the story of Haasil. But Manoj said he won't play the villain's role. It was after he refused that I approached Irrfan," the director said. He added, "As Manoj was already a star, I thought if I will convince him to do the film, I will get producers too."
'Haasil' marked turning point in Khan's career
Haasil, which also starred Jimmy Shergill, Hrishita Bhatt, and Rajpal Yadav, was released to positive reviews. The film marked a turning point in Khan's career. He then starred in films like Footpath, Maqbool, and Life in a... Metro, among other classics. Dhulia and Khan later worked together in the 2012 film Paan Singh Tomar.
