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20 years of Maqbool: Vishal Bhardwaj recalls approaching all except Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan for THIS reason
Recently Vishal Bhardwaj's directorial Maqbool completed 20 years and now the filmmaker has shared some of his fond memories from the film's shoot.
Vishal Bhardwaj considers Maqbool, the first film in his series of Shakespearean adaptations, to be his most definitive interpretation. He wrote the script before finishing Makdee, providing an interesting take on Macbeth. Bhardwaj reflects on the success of his celebrated adaptation of Macbeth, Maqbool, which marked its 20th anniversary of release on Tuesday, noting that something truly special occurred during its making.
Vishal Bhardwaj recalls he reached out to everyone except Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan
Maqbool, the first installment of Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespeare trilogy, faced commercial challenges and struggled to find an actor for the lead role, eventually portrayed by Irrfan. The film, also featuring Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri, saw an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy set in the Mumbai underworld.
Vishal Bhardwaj, aged 58, began his career in the film industry as a music composer and later ventured into directing with Makdee in 2002. He had already prepared the script for Maqbool during that period. During a recent interaction with PTI, he mentioned that when he attempted to produce Maqbool, he struggled to secure funding or cast well-known actors. He reached out to almost everyone except Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan, but faced rejections from nearly all. 
He added, “But when I tried to make Maqbool, I could not get money or stars. I approached everybody, except Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman, almost everyone rejected it. Some said, ‘Arrey, hero loser hai’, ‘Arrey, ye to badi depressing film hai’, ‘Underworld is done to death, ‘Satya and Parinda are already there so who can make a better film than this?”
Vishal Bhardwaj also mentioned that when reflecting on the past, he feels a sense of pride and joy about achieving a timeless quality in the film. It wasn't just his effort alone but the collaboration of the entire team and actors that made it special. He added, “When I look back, the one thing that I feel very nice and proud of is that I could achieve a timeless quality in that film. It is not just because of me but the whole unit and actors… Some magic happened there.”
He mentioned that even now, when you see the film, it doesn't appear outdated. Sometimes, he has to remind himself that it's been 20 years since Maqbool because it feels like he was just struggling to create it recently. He added, “It didn’t do well in theatres. It didn’t do any business but so much appreciation.”
Vishal subsequently concluded his Shakespeare trilogy with Omkara, based on Othello in 2006, and Haider, an adaptation of Hamlet in 2014.
Work Front
Looking at his filmography, you'll find many significant and highly praised movies attributed to him. From Maqbool and Omkara to Haider and Talvar, some of his films remain significant even today. His recent spy-thriller, Khufiya, featuring Tabu, Ali Fazal, and Wamiqa Gabbi, debuted on OTT platforms.
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