Actor
Makarand Deshpande
had the opportunity to be part of two of the most iconic Hindi films of all time – Munna Bhai M.B.B.S and
Lagaan
. However, he declined roles in both movies due to the long-term commitment required. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Makarand elaborated on his decision and revealed how Shah Rukh Khan was the first choice for
Munna Bhai MBBS
.
Actor Makarand Deshpande got the chance to feature in two of the most well-known Hindi films ever made: ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’. However, he turned down the parts in both films because both films needed long-term commitment. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, he revealed that Shah Rukh Khan was the initial choice for ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’.
Makarand disclosed during the conversation that he was approached for the character of Circuit in ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, but that the role eventually went to
Arshad Warsi
after he declined it. He also revealed that before
Sanjay Dutt
was chosen for the main part, Shah Rukh Khan was supposed to play the lead. He said, “Raju (director Rajkumar Hirani) called me. I remember working on some scenes. I might have done some improvisation also. One song was also recorded which had my voice. First Shah Rukh Khan was suppose to star in Munna Bhai but he couldn’t do the film because of a shoulder injury. Then Sanjay Dutt came in.”
He also disclosed the reason as to why he opted out of the film, he said, “When the dates came in of the film… see I used to be always afraid when makers would give me dates, here Raju asked me for 56 days. It was really wrong on my part. I was thinking of making a film at that time. In my life, I just have always known that my time is really important and not who is giving me what role and what will that role will do for me because popularity, fame, money had never been a question for me.”
Despite being a real-life cricket player, Makarand chose not to work in the renowned sports drama film ‘Lagaan’ for a similar reason. He disclosed he turned down the film because
Ashutosh Gowariker
wanted a six-month commitment to the film. He shared, “Aamir Khan called me home and told me, ‘How can you say no? This is my home production’s first film and this is cricket and you are saying it no despite being a cricketer yourself.’ I said, ‘I am not saying no but I can’t give six months,’ and Ashutosh was clear that he wanted six months.”
On the work front, Makarand Deshpande was last seen in Dev Patel’s actioner ‘Monkey Man’, which is still awaiting its release in India. The film also stars Sikander Kher and Sobhita Dhulipala in pivotal roles.
Monkey Man – Official Hindi Trailer
