WHAT! Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice for SLB's 'Devdas'?

Do you know? Prolific Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee was considered for a key role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’, however, he declined the offer.

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As reported by Indian entertainment outlets, Manoj Bajpayee was the first choice of SLB to play Chunnilal, but he turned down the offer to essay the supporting character and it eventually landed with Jackie Shroff.

Reportedly, he preferred to play the protagonist in ‘Devdas’ rather than a supporting character, hence, excused to Bhansali. “I’ve always wanted to play Devdas. There have been a few adaptations, but no one thought of casting me,” Bajpayee said during an interview.

“I would love to play that character,” he added.

One of the biggest commercial and critical successes, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romance drama was based on the same-titled novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It starred a hit pair of then, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles of Devdas and Paro respectively, while Madhuri Dixit essayed the tailored role of Chandramukhi.

While it opened to mixed reviews from critics, the cult hit was a major commercial success emerging as the highest-grossing film of the year. It also bagged several accolades.

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