At a masterclass event for the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival, Anubhav also said that people, including filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, had earlier suggested that he should approach Amitabh Bachchan for the part, but he did not think he would be suitable for the role.
Conveying his thoughts in Hindi, Anubhav Sinha shared, “Sudhir Mishra suggested that I approach Amit ji to secure funding for the film. However, I felt that Amit ji doesn’t fit this particular role because he can take care of himself. We needed a character who is incapable of looking after himself. That’s when Rishi Kapoor came into the picture.”
The filmmaker revealed that he crafted the script for ‘Mulk’ in just three days. Reflecting on his experience working with Rishi Kapoor, Anubhav shared, “He had a bit of a spoilt Punjabi boy attitude, and we had a minor disagreement. I told him, ‘You don’t intimidate me; I’ve dealt with your uncle in my debut!'” Anubhav had collaborated with the late Shammi Kapoor on the television show ‘Shikast,’ which aired in the 90s.
The 2018 film also starred Taapsee Pannu, Ashutosh Rana, Prateik Babbar, Rajat Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa and Neena Gupta. The gripping courtroom drama primarily revolved around Murad Ali Mohammed (played by Rishi Kapoor), whose life takes a tumultuous turn when his nephew becomes entangled in a terror conspiracy that results in the loss of many innocent lives.
