Abhishek Bachchan earned praise for his performance as Bunty in the movie Bunty Aur Babli. However, he was not the first choice.
It’s been 20 years since the crime-comedy Bunty Aur Babli first hit screens, yet the film remains a fan favourite. With Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji winning hearts through their charismatic performances, the film is fondly remembered for its humour, heart, and heists. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, director Shaad Ali revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes detail: Hrithik Roshan was originally the first choice for the lead role. (Also Read: Abhishek Bachchan: ‘Every director I met said they didn’t want to take the responsibility of launching me’)
Rakesh Roshan wanted Hrithik Roshan to Bunty Aur Babli
Shaad shared that while Rani was always the top pick for Babli, the role of Bunty was initially offered to Hrithik. He recalled, “Yes, we did meet Hrithik as he was our first choice. We sat for a few months with him. Rakesh ji (Rakesh Roshan) liked the script a lot and he was keen that Hrithik should sign the film.”
Here’s why Hrithik Roshan rejected Bunty Aur Babli
Explaining why Hrithik eventually turned down the role, Shaad added, “Hrithik was not very comfortable entering the small-town space at that time. He did a very good job of it later in Super 30 (2019), though. Back then, he had his reservations. He did, however, have many creative ideas for the film. In fact, it was Hrithik’s idea that Bunty and Babli should return to conning in the final scene. He reasoned, ‘They’re like Superman! They can’t go back to normal life and never return to the con world.’ Originally, the story ended with Bunty and Babli being let off and becoming law-abiding citizens. I should have thanked Hrithik in the credits.”
About Bunty Aur Babli
Written by Jaideep Sahni from a story by Aditya Chopra and produced under the Yash Raj Films banner, Bunty Aur Babli stars Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji as the titular con artists, with Amitabh Bachchan in a supporting role as a police officer tracking their schemes across India. The film follows two small-town dreamers who team up to pull off a series of elaborate cons under the aliases Bunty and Babli, gaining nationwide notoriety.
The film was a major commercial success. However, its sequel—featuring Saif Ali Khan in place of Abhishek and introducing Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari—failed to impress audiences and ended up as a box-office flop.
Upcoming films of Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is gearing up for the release of his upcoming spy thriller War 2. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film also stars Jr NTR and Kiara Advani in lead roles. It is scheduled to release in cinemas on August 14.
