Manoj Bajpayee wasn't the first choice for The Family Man, here’s who was

Can you believe it? Manoj Bajpayee was not the first choice to play the lead in The Family Man. The actor has immortalized the character of Srikant Tiwari but that is not what makers initially had in mind. They penned the script of the show keeping another actor in mind. Excited to know which actor? We tell you…

Who was the initial choice?

You’ll never guess it! Several reports suggest that a South Indian actor was supposed to be the lead on the show. That actor is Chiranjeevi. Ashwini Dutt revealed so in a recent interview. It was after Chiranjeevi turning the script down, that Manoj Bajpayee got roped in for The Family Man.

Chiranjeevi had turned down The Family Man because he was working on Khiladi No 150. To top it up, the superstar had to play a father to two children. Chiranjeevi was concerned that people were not ready to see him in the role of a father. Thus, Raj and DK removed the angle from the script. However, Chiranjeevi still turned down the script. That is when Manoj came into play.

An initial Indian series on Prime which became iconic

The Family Man is among the initial Indian web series on Amazon Prime Video. The show became one of the most loved alongside Mirzapur. They had extreme themes too. While The Family Man was more unique with its ‘common man’ humour, Mirzapur had a more violent and raw side to it.

Where Raj and DK’s legacy on OTT started

Raj and DK’s legacy on OTT began with The Family Man. They became one of the most bankable directors in the digital world. After The Family Man, The Go Goa Gone helmers also directed Shahid Kapoor’s debut web series, Farzi. Once again, they made history with the show. Currently, Raj and DK are in direct competition with MCU films famed director duo Russo Brothers. The brothers had helmed Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ Citadel. The Indian version of the show is being directed by Raj and DK. It stars Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead roles. For the uninitiated, Samantha had made her powerful Hindi debut through The Family Man 2. The show and her performance both received a lot of love.