Late actor Irrfan Khan, known for his role in Haasil, wasn’t originally the top choice. Director Tigmanshu Dhulia recently revealed that he wanted Manoj Bajpayee for the part since he was popular after the 1998 film Satya. However, when Manoj declined the negative role, Irrfan came on board.
In an interview with Mashable India, Tigmanshu shared that it was coincidence. “I wanted to make my debut film and Irrfan was a friend. It was all destiny.
There was no plotting or maneuvering.” He added, “To be honest, the first person I approached for Haasil wasn’t Irrfan Khan, it was Manoj Bajpayee. Very few people know this.
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,” he said.
Recalling how he approached Manoj for the role, Tigmanshu said that the actor was filming Ghaath when he pitched Haasil to him. “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,” he recalled. Tigmanshu also explained why Manoj was his first choice. He said, he was being a bit selfish.
“As Manoj was already a star, I thought if I will convince him to do the film, I will get producers too. And the movie will be easily made.” The film, featuring Jimmy Shergill, Hrishita Bhatt, and Rajpal Yadav, received positive reviews upon its release.
It became a pivotal moment in Irrfan Khan’s career, leading him to star in acclaimed films like Footpath, Maqbool, and Life in a...
Metro, among others. Tigmanshu Dhulia also worked with Irrfan in the critically acclaimed Paan Singh Tomar. Haasil revolved around Aniruddh (played by Jimmy Shergill), a law-abiding college student, in love with Niharika.
He gets caught up in college politics and crime and must fight it out for himself when his friend becomes his foe..
