New Delhi:
Divyenndu gained a massive fandom after playing the violent and spoilt son Munna Tripathi, of Mirzapur’s crime lord Akhandanand “Kaleen” Tripathi. But he was initially approached to play Vikrant Massey’s character, Bablu Pandit, in the series.
In an old interview with Humans of Bombay, Divyenndu said, “Initially I was approached for Bablu’s character. Went ahead and read it, everything was fine. But yeh jo Munna ka character tha, yeh kaun play karega, again, stupid you know.”
He continued, “Chahe jo bhi ho, jaisa bhi ho, kuch hai. I don’t know why, as an actor I was struggling in a way that people would always take me as a happy-go-lucky guy, the boy-next-door. I was like phir yeh bahut boxed ho jaayega. Toh ek tareekay se, main itna pareshaan tha ki God said, ok giving you wait, don’t sulk about every day. So I got Munna. These guys called me, they said what do you have to say about Munna, I said fantastic. Let’s jam on it and here we have Munna.”
Divyenndu On Munna Bhaiya’s Return In Mirzapur The Film
Mirzapur‘s story is moving from the streaming platform to cinemas, and one of its most loved characters is making a comeback. Divyenndu is back as Munna Bhaiya and for him, stepping into Munna’s shoes again is not just another acting job.
The actor says the comeback has stirred up many emotions, including excitement and nervousness. After playing a character that became so popular with viewers, he is now wondering how fans will react to seeing Munna again.
Divyenndu also feels that returning to the character is like coming back to an old chapter of his life. He hopes he has done justice to Munna Bhaiya once again.
Most importantly, he sees the film as a special gift for the fans who kept the character alive.
As per Telegraph India, Divyenndu said, “To come back with the film, it’s like how life comes full circle. I’m both excited and nervous at the same time. How would people react and see Munna coming back, whether I’ve done justice to it or not. So, it’s a bag full of emotions but above everything, I think this one is just for the fans.”
The actor explained that he likes to make his characters feel “more relatable and human” for audiences to understand. Instead of playing a role in a simple way, he “likes to take risks.” He enjoys trying new things and believes audiences have supported him whenever he has experimented with his roles.
Divyenndu said he has been lucky to receive strong and important roles throughout his career. He is also thankful to the writers and filmmakers who trust him with such challenging characters.
Why Vikrant Massey Is Missing In Mirzapur The Film
Interestingly, actors whose characters had already died in the series, including Divyenndu Sharma and Shriya Pilgaonkar, will also be seen in the film. But there was one notable absence that did not attract as much attention at the trailer launch — Vikrant Massey.
Vikrant Massey played the role of Bablu Pandit, the younger brother of Ali Fazal’s Guddu Pandit. His character died in the first season. Perhaps because of this, audiences had gradually moved on from the character. However, with Mirzapur The Movie bringing back several characters who were presumed dead, Vikrant Massey’s character is also set to return. The only difference is that the character will now be played by Jitendra Kumar.
At the trailer launch, when Jitendra Kumar walked onto the stage, there was hardly any immediate sense that Vikrant Massey was missing. Jitendra’s build, facial features, and even his look with light stubble bore a certain resemblance to Vikrant Massey. At the same time, everyone knows that Jeetu Bhaiya is a new addition to the Mirzapur universe. This naturally raises an interesting question: why was Vikrant Massey not brought back for the role?
If we look at Vikrant Massey’s career, his journey has changed significantly since the first season of Mirzapur arrived in 2018. He had already worked extensively in television and had appeared in films such as Dil Dhadakne Do, backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment which also produces Mirzapur.
However, Meghna Gulzar’s Chhapaak, opposite Deepika Padukone, became an important milestone in his career. From there on, Vikrant Massey gradually established himself as one of the most dependable actors of his generation and went on to headline several films, including 12th Fail which got him both recognition and accolades.
Today, Vikrant Massey is a recognised star with a number of leading roles to his credit. On the other hand, the central characters of the Mirzapur franchise have always been Kaleen Bhaiya, played by Pankaj Tripathi, and Guddu Pandit, played by Ali Fazal. Divyenndu’s Munna Tripathi, despite his character’s death, also had a strong and significant presence in the series.
Considering Vikrant Massey’s current stature, one possible reason for his absence could be that returning for a secondary or tertiary role may have no longer appealed to him. There could also be another industry-related factor. Mirzapur is backed by Excel Entertainment, and it is well known that Vikrant Massey had opted out of Don 3, which is being directed by Farhan Akhtar. It is therefore also possible that Excel Entertainment may not have approached the actor for Mirzapur The Movie.
Whatever the actual reason may be, the Mirzapur team certainly deserves credit for finding an interesting replacement in Jitendra Kumar. His physical appearance and overall look make the transition less jarring, and the trailer did not give audiences much reason to focus on Vikrant Massey’s absence.
Of course, an actor’s decision to accept or reject a film is entirely personal. But the real test is on September 4. Will audiences miss Vikrant Massey in Mirzapur, or will Jitendra Kumar’s presence be strong enough to ensure that they never get the chance to?
