The stark resemblance that he bears with his muse, coupled with his nuanced act, as is evident in the film's trailer, is the reason to believe that few could have played the role of the late politico Balasaheb Thackeray, better than Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Yet, casting director Rohan Mapuskar reveals that it was, in fact, Irrfan Khan who was the first choice for the part.
"Director Abhijit Panse, Sanjay Raut and I were brainstorming on who we'd like to cast and were contemplating [roping in] Irrfan. We had [superimposed] his image to see if it matched that of Mr Thackeray, and were convinced," says Mapuskar, who had to opt for another name, given the actor's unavailability. "Irrfan, who was busy with another film, said he could only consider it after two to three months."
A casual conversation with Raut, Mapuskar reveals, had them convinced that Siddiqui would be a better selection for the part. "He told us that during certain pandals [rallies], Mr Thackeray would be seated with the karyakartas on the floor. Following a subsequent discussion, we felt that Nawaz would be a better choice for the depiction of such scenes when compared to Irrfan. Zeroing in on him was a consensual decision."
The selection of Amrita Rao as Meena Thackeray too, he states, was made after they decided against casting "first choice" Rasika Dugal. Given that the latter had already featured with Siddiqui in Manto, Mapuskar wanted a fresh, and relevant actor to play wife to his protagonist. "We had arrived a day prior than scheduled to meet Amrita for the film, despite which she re-organised her meetings to talk to us, instead of [turning us away]. This act reminded me of how maa saheb [Meena] would treat her workers, ensuring that she fed them, no matter when they arrived to meet her."
