Dilip Kumar's Crucial Role In Casting Amrish Puri For Virasat's Memorable Character
Amrish Puri's portrayal of Mogambo in Boney Kapoor's 1987 superhero film Mr. India made him a household name. A decade later, his role in the action-drama Virasat, released in 1997, marked a significant shift in his career. Despite initial doubts about casting him as Raja Thakur, a character originally played by Shivaji Ganesan in the 1992 Tamil version, director Priyadarshan persisted.
In Virasat, Raja Thakur is Anil Kapoor's father who suffers a heart attack after being disrespected in the village panchayat. This incident forces his foreign-returned son to abandon his plans, stay back in the village, marry a local girl instead of his girlfriend, and take over as the zamindar. Initially, actors like Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar, and Sunil Dutt were considered for this role before Amrish Puri was chosen.
The book Bad Men by journalist Roshmila Bhattacharya reveals that Dilip Kumar was indeed the first choice for Raja Thakur. Vardhan Puri, Amrish Puri's grandson, confirms that Mushir-Riaz, Priyadarshan, and Boney Kapoor had approached Dilip Kumar. "But after listening to the narration, Dilip sahab told them that he could see only Amrish Puri as Raja Thakur," shares Vardhan.
A phone call was then made to Kamal Haasan, whose story inspired the film. After consulting him, Amrish Puri was approached for the role. Before accepting it, Amrish Puri spoke with Dilip Kumar again. The veteran actor reiterated his earlier endorsement of Amrish Puri for the role. "His endorsement meant a lot to my grandfather because he had grown up idolizing Dilip sahab," Vardhan adds.
Bad Men: Bollywood's Iconic Villains, Roshmila Bhattacharya's fourth book, delves into the lives of 13 popular villains including Pran, Ajit, Jeevan and Kiran Kumar, Ranjeet, Danny Denzongpa, Prem Chopra, Amjad Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Ashutosh Rana and Puneet Issar. It is filled with anecdotes from her interactions with these actors and their close ones.
The book also highlights how Amrish Puri’s role as Raja Thakur differed from his usual villainous characters. As Vardhan notes in Bad Men, "Raja Thakur was unlike his usual villainous roles." Despite playing many negative roles on screen, Amrish Puri was known to be a loving father and grandfather off-screen.
This transformation from villain to a positive supporting role showcased Amrish Puri’s versatility as an actor. His performance in Virasat remains memorable even today. The film not only changed perceptions about him but also added depth to his illustrious career.
The legacy of actors like Amrish Puri continues to inspire many in Bollywood today. Their contributions have left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. Through books like Bad Men, their stories continue to reach new audiences.
The influence of these iconic villains extends beyond their films. They have become cultural symbols representing various facets of human nature through their performances on screen.
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