The late legendary actor’s dream role was no secret, and it was longed to be played by Irrfan Khan. Sahir Ludhianvi, responsible for writing revolutionary words, had songs written about him by Khan. The change in the idiom and style of romantic expression is credited to Sahir. It is believed that only Irrfan could play Sahir, despite other actors being considered for the role.
Reports suggested Shah Rukh Khan’s potential involvement in the biopic, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali and SRK were set to collaborate. Initially, Irrfan Khan was chosen for the role when the movie was to be produced by Ashi Dua. Later, Abhishek Bachchan lost weight to portray the poet who redefined Hindi film songs post-independence.
Abhishek, Amitabh Bachchan’s son and Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s grandson, learned Sahir’s lyrics and lip-synced some of them in Yash Chopra’s ‘Kabhi Kabhie.’ This biopic would have marked his first collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Priyanka Chopra was reportedly excited to play Amrita Pritam, but she dropped out, causing speculation. Some suggested it was due to her desire to be a co-producer, a theory denied by both her and Bhansali’s camps.