Why not Manoj Bajpayee but Govinda was the first choice for Aligarh? Filmmaker Hansal Mehta REVEALS
Renowned filmmaker Hansal Mehta recently revealed why Govinda was the first choice and not Manoj Bajpayee for the 2015 film Aligarh. Read the full story.
Key Highlight
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Filmmaker Hansal Mehta revealed why Govinda and not Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice for Aligarh
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The film Aligarh was released in 2015
One of the renowned filmmakers Hansal Mehta known for directing films like Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!!, Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?, Woodstock Villa, recently opened up about his 2015 film Aligarh. The director who received critical acclaim with Shahid and also won the National Film Award for Best Direction for the same, revealed that he wanted to cast Govinda as the main lead of his acclaimed Aligarh and not Manoj Bajpayee. The film also featured Rajkummar Rao in a pivotal role.
Hansal Mehta reveals why Govinda was the first choice and not Manoj Bajpayee for Aligarh
In a recent interview with Lallantop, Hansal Mehta revealed that not Manoj Bajpayee but Govinda was his first choice for Aligarh. Revealing what went wrong, the filmmaker said, "Sometimes when you think of an actor while writing a script, you get stuck on that actor. It has happened to me before when an actor refused to do a project that I had written keeping him in my mind. So, in that case I had to leave the story completely or recalibrate it and make it years later. This happened to me during Aligarh. When I sat with casting director Mukesh Chhabra for Aligarh, I told him, ‘Yaar, let’s talk to Govinda.’ He told me let’s see. I don’t know what happened but that casting didn’t happen. Then Mukesh told me to talk to Manoj Bajpayee.”
About Aligarh
Aligarh tells the story of the life of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras. He is a professor at Aligarh University.
Apart from Manoj and Rajkummar Rao, the film also starred Dilnaz Irani, Ishwak Singh, and Ashish Vidyarthi in key roles. The film is available to stream on Prime Video, ZEE5, and YouTube.
Meanwhile, speaking about Mehta, the director recently spoke about his tough phase in life and how his wife Safeena brought stability. During a conversation with Unfiltered by Samdish, Hansal revealed that after meeting his now-wife Safeena, things got better in his personal life. He added, "I was not an alcoholic but I used to. I still enjoy it. But now I know that I should drink enough so that I can work the next day. My focus has changed now. I like my work now, since Shahid."
Arpita Sarkar has 3 years of experience in Hollywood and Bollywood content writing in the entertainment industry. With a
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