It can be said without a shred of doubt that the character Dr. Asthana of ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’ played a huge role in shaping the Bollywood career of actor Boman Irani. But little does one know that this role was initially written for deceased actor Amrish Puri.
This fun fact about the movie was revealed by filmmaker Rajkumari Hirani and Boman Irani on the chat show ‘Yaaron Ki Baraat’ hosted by Sajid Khan and Riteish Deshmukh on Tuesday.
Hirani said that after the death of Amrish Puri he thought of casting Boman. But it was only after the actor turned to the sets dressed as his character, looking completely unrecognisable that Hirani was convinced about him.
The actor-director duo also revealed how they first met, and why they developed an admiration for each other. Hirani said that it was because of his close friend Vidhu Vinod Chopra (who produced Munnabhai M.B.B.S) that he got to meet and work with Boman.
However, the award winning filmmaker added that he thought he couldn’t afford Boman as he was working only as an assistant director. But, we all know that didn’t happen as Boman has been a constant in all of Raju’s movies- Munna Bhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, and PK.
Telling about what drew him to Hirani, Boman said it was his simplicity. He disclosed that Rajkumar still gets his suits tailored from Nagpur and always prefers wearing a simple shirt and jacket.
Despite having different notions about each other initially, the two became fast friends and the bond seems to be going strong with time.
