Siddharth P Malhotra shares how he convinced Jaideep Ahlawat to play Jadunath Mahara in 'Maharaj'

MUMBAI: Director Siddharth P Malhotra is excited with the kind of response his film 'Maharaj' is receiving. He opened up about the cast of the film and how he convinced Jaideep Ahlawat for the role of Jadunath Maharaj.

He shared that for the Jadunath Maharaj role, he thought of casting Irrfan Khan initially, "The only person we could think of for that role was Irrfan Khan. There was nobody else who could play this role but Irrfan Khan."

Later, he shared how he convinced Jaideep Ahlawat for the role. "I kept telling Jaideep sir there's only once actor in the entire universe who can do this, and that's him. He can do anything, he's one of the best actors we have, undoubtedly. It took us time to convince him to do this, it was a lot of pressure on him. He's rightfully getting all the love he gets for every film."

Siddharth also opened up on the thought of reshooting the introductory scene in the film, as Jaideep had gained weight. So, he asked him that they had to to the entry scene again. "I told him, don't worry Jaideep sir, I have seen lots of things which happen in VFX, usme abs daal denge, ho jayega."

However, he added that Jaideep is a dedicated actor and he was not ready for it. "He said, bhai, for five-and-a-half months I have given my life to get that body. I can't start with a fake body in my first scene. Give me three months. I said, it's just one day of shoot, not more. But he asked me to give him three months to get that body back. And he did that."

Junaid Khan, who made his debut with the film expressed excitement about the overwhelming response from the audience. "I'm so glad that people have watched the film and they are enjoying the film..."

"When I heard the script, I really liked it. I am fond of his earlier project 'Hichki'. Moreover, Yash Raj is is probably the biggest studio in the country today. The film is inherently dramatic. It's not a niche film. It's not really an art film. It's a fairly mainstream drama. So I never saw it as a niche film. I never saw it as an odd choice."

'Maharaj' delves into the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case, one of India's most significant legal battles, and highlights the life of social reformer Karsandas Mulji.

Featuring Junaid Khan in his debut role alongside Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey, and Sharvari, the film, was released on June 21.

The film is directed by Sidharth P Malhotra and produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) Entertainment.