15 years of Ishqiya: Lesser-known facts about Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah starrer-OxBig News Network

VIDYA BALAN WASN’T THE ORIGINAL CHOICE!

Preity Zinta was initially considered for the role of Krishna Verma, later played by Vidya Balan. Preity even liked the earlier drafts of the script, as revealed by director Abhishek Chaubey to News18. However, when the script was finalised, she decided not to go ahead with the film. Lara Dutta was also approached for the role at one point.

IRRFAN-VISHAL’S COLD WAR

Irrfan was producer Vishal Bharadwaj’s first choice to play one of the leads, Babban (later portrayed by Arshad Warsi); he had even refused to entertain a popular female actor’s demand to replace him. However, Irrfan walked out of Ishqiya after the script was finalised, leading to a fallout between the two. In an interview with Mashable, Vishal revealed that due to his anger, he refused to answer the actor’s calls for two years.

KALEEN BHAIYA IN ISHQIYA?

Interestingly, actor Pankaj Tripathi was initially considered to play Khalujan. The role later went to Naseeruddin Shah, with whom Abhishek had earlier worked in the 2003 crticially acclaimed Maqbool.

MAGIC OF GULZAR

It took lyricist Gulzar no time to come up with the iconic hook line for the film’s chartbuster song, Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. The reference provided to him was the song Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoon from the 1951 film Afsana. “When Gulzar saab heard the reference, he immediately said, ‘Dil toh baccha hai ji,’” Abhishek Chaubey had shared in an interview with Indian Express.

‘THAT’ INFAMOUS SCENE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eIVGdkgr48

Vidya Balan, the female lead in the film, admitted that she was “unsure” about a scene where her character Krishna seduces Babban (Arshad Warsi). Talking about the sensual scene, Vidya said, “Fortunately, Arshad is a friend… I don’t know if I’d have been able to do a scene [where I put a co-star’s finger in my mouth], with someone else. The gesture of sucking Arshad’s thumb was so raunchy and so not me; I couldn’t connect with it all.”