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EXCLUSIVE: Ram Gopal Varma reveals his first choices for Sarkar were not Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan but THESE two actors
In a recent chat with Pinkvilla, Ram Gopal Varma revealed that Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan were not his first choices for Sarkar. Read on to find out who they were!
Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar, starring Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, remains one of his most acclaimed films. However, in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, the filmmaker revealed that neither Amitabh nor Abhishek were his first choices. Titled Nayak initially, he had envisioned Sanjay Dutt and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles.
Ram Gopal Varma recalled, "When Sanjay Dutt was arrested in the 1993 blast case, I was working on a film called Nayak. In the meantime, he got arrested. While waiting for his release, I made an action comedy, which turned out to be a super hit. Because that film became successful, when Sanjay was released, we decided to make another action-comedy instead of a political film. However, that film didn’t work."
See the full interview here:
He further revealed, "Had it not been successful, I wouldn’t have made it. But since it was, I did. Eventually, Nayak was shelved, and the title was dropped. It was a lovely title, but the project never materialized. Years later, I made Sarkar. So, in a way, Nayak actually became Sarkar."
When asked if he had originally planned to make the film with Sanjay Dutt, he replied, "Yes, Sanjay was supposed to play Abhishek’s role, and Naseeruddin Shah was meant to play Amitabh’s role. Since Nayak didn’t happen, Sarkar was made. If I had made Nayak, regardless of its performance, I would have never made Sarkar."
Sarkar (2005) is a political crime thriller directed by Ram Gopal Varma, inspired by The Godfather. Starring Amitabh Bachchan as Subhash Nagre, a powerful and morally complex leader, the film explores themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal.
Abhishek Bachchan plays his son, Shankar, who eventually takes over the reins of his father’s empire. With a gripping narrative, intense performances, and a dark, realistic portrayal of Mumbai’s underworld politics, Sarkar became a critically acclaimed hit. Its success led to two sequels, Sarkar Raj (2008) and Sarkar 3 (2017), solidifying its place as a cult political crime drama in Indian cinema.
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