Did you know that prolific Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee was once considered for a significant role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’, but he turned down the offer?
According to reports from Indian entertainment outlets, Bajpayee was SLB’s initial choice for the character of Chunnilal, but he declined the opportunity to play a supporting role. Eventually, the role went to Jackie Shroff.
It’s been reported that Bajpayee expressed his preference to portray the protagonist, Devdas, rather than a supporting character, leading him to excuse himself from Bhansali’s offer.
“I’ve always wanted to play Devdas. There have been a few adaptations, but no one thought of casting me,” Bajpayee mentioned during an interview. “I would love to play that character,” he added.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romance drama, based on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, was one of the biggest commercial and critical successes.
Starring Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai as the lead roles of Devdas and Paro respectively, with Madhuri Dixit portraying Chandramukhi, the film opened to mixed reviews from critics but emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year and received numerous accolades.
