Pankaj Jha, who played Vidhayak Ji in TVF’s Panchayat series, revealed in an interview with Digital Commentary that he was initially chosen for the role of Sultan Qureshi in Gangs of Wasseypur before losing it to Pankaj Tripathi. Jha, who had previously worked with Kashyap on Gulaal and Black Friday, explained that he got the offer while shooting in Patna and told Kashyap he would return in two days. However, by the time he came back, Pankaj Tripathi had already been cast as Sultan. Gangs of Wasseypur, directed by Anurag Kashyap, is highly praised by both audiences and critics.
Anurag Kashyap has now reacted to it. “I don’t remember what exactly happened. But we were shooting for The Girl in Yellow Boots and he had moved to Osho in Pune to paint. We were supposed to start shooting for Gangs of Wasseypur and he (Pankaj Jha) was not available.”
Anurag said that it was because of their low budget and the fact that that couldn’t wait for him to get back from Patna. He clarified, “We were on a tight budget and could not wait for him. We made the film in a very different condition and budget. Now, he may be thinking that after 20 years, he could have become Pankaj Tripathi.” He also added, “I have worked with him, and he has actually been my go-to actor. We worked in Gulaal and Black Friday. I would love to work with him again, but the fact is, he is not accessible at all.”
Pankaj Jha had earlier said that films like Satya and Gulaal create actors and directors. “While films like Satya and Gulaal create actors, they also make directors. But there are so many timid and spineless people here that they can’t even keep their word.” Later, he added that now he held no resentment towards Anurag Kashyap. “Nevertheless, I still love Anurag very much and have no complaints against anyone,” he had added.
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