Director Siddharth P Malhotra celebrates success of 'Maharaj', reveals Jaideep Ahlawat initially 'said no' to the film

Director Siddharth P Malhotra is currently basking in the success of his latest film 'Maharaj'. At a press conference held to celebrate the success of Maharaj, the filmmaker recently revealed that not Jaideep Ahlawat, but the makers thought that late actor Irrfan Khan would have been a perfect fit for the role of Jadunath Maharaj. He also shared that even convincing Jaideep to take up the role was a task. Malhotra revealed that Ahlawat had initially denied the part. "He said, 'No, it’s tough'," Malhotra said during the success meet of 'Maharaj'. 

Malhotra praised Ahlawat's performance and said that no actor in the entire universe can match what he has done. "He can do anything. He is one of the best actors we have had, undoubtedly," the director said, adding that they had to do a lot many narrations to convince Ahlawat for the role. Talking about Junaid Khan, who made his debut with the project, Malhotra said he is grateful that the actor chose an unconventional Bollywood film 'Maharaj' for his acting debut. Junaid was seen playing the role of Karsandas Mulji.

Starring Junaid Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey and Sharvari Wagh, 'Maharaj' has been trending on top spot ever since the film landed on OTT. The film marked Siddharth P Malhotra's return to director's chair after helming 'Hichki'. Previously, the Director had thanked Aditya Chopra and YRF's team for letting him tell the “story that needed to be told.”