Filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey is known for his collaboration as a screenwriter with Vishal Bhardwaj on films like ‘The Blue Umbrella’ (2005), ‘Omkara’ (2006), ‘Blood Brothers'(2007), and ‘Kaminey’ (2009). However, his filmmaking journey truly took off with his 2010 directorial debut ‘
Ishqiya
‘, starring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Arshad Warsi. Now, the filmmaker has admitted that the film was originally envisioned with an entirely different cast, including Pankaj Tripathi, Irrfan Khan, and Preity Zinta.
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In a recent conversation with Mashable India, Abhishek reflected on how the project almost came to life with these actors before things took a turn. He shared that Pankaj was chosen to play Khalujan (originally played by Naseeruddin), and Irrfan was about to play Babban (played by Arshad Warsi). He had also approached Lara Dutta for the film. However, Preity was initially confirmed for the role of Krishna but backed out during the production phase. During a trip to New York, Abhishek met Irrfan, who invited him to his luxurious hotel and expressed concerns about his character in the script. This turning point led Abhishek to rethink the cast and make significant changes.
It was during this time that an unexpected celebrity encounter added to the memorable experience, he saw a limo arriving, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got out of it. Irrfan also arrived in a limo.
After narrating the script, Irrfan reacted, stating that the changes in the story might not benefit his character. “That’s when I realised he probably wouldn’t do it. While great things happened with the script, terrible things happened behind the scenes,” the filmmaker added.
Upon returning to Mumbai, Abhishek focused on finding the right actor for the role of Krishna Verma. After considering several stars, he approached Vidya Balan, who immediately agreed to join the cast. Abhishek also turned to Naseeruddin for the role of Khalujan, as they had previously worked together on ‘Maqbool’ and ‘Omkara’, making him the natural choice for the part.
However, casting Naseeruddin for ‘Ishqiya’ came with its challenges. Abhishek sent him the script, and the actor expressed concerns, asking if he was the right choice for the role, as he had never romanced on screen before. Despite his reservations, Naseeruddin delivered a remarkable performance. Eventually, Arshad Warsi also joined the cast.
