Juhi Babbar reveals she was offered Urmila Matondkar's role in Pinjar

Actor Juhi Babbar says she was offered the lead role in the 2003 drama Pinjar based on Amrita Pritams novel of the same name but was replaced in the end as the makers were keen to cast a bigger actress The film directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi is about the struggles faced by Hindus and Muslims during the Partition of India The movie featured Urmila Matondkar in the lead role of Puro alongside Manoj Bajpayee and Sanjay SuriThere was a film called Pinjar I was going to play the role that Urmila Matondkar played I would not blame Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi for it he appreciates the work I do He was starting off then and he had said Whenever I make Pinjar you will act in it but then a huge producer came on board and they wanted a bigger actor Juhi told PTI in an interview The director then offered her the role of Laajo but she said no to itThe role was finally played by Sandali Sinha of Tum Bin fame I told Dr sahab I wont be able to do it because my heart was in Puro lead role and that Ill not be able to give my best I was thinking about the character of Puro for a year had read the novel and then it didnt happen So things that have to happen will happen I was so young at that time Thankfully I made some correct decisions Juhi said The actor said both she and Dwivedi still share a warm equation and the director praised her work in The Great Shamsuddin Family The actor said she was also slated to work opposite Abhishek Bachchan in the 2002 film Shararat but again she was replaced by another popular actor Hrishitaa BhattI had a meeting with director Guroudev Bhalla and I didnt even come to know that Im not doing it Years later Gurou sir called me when he was making a webseries and I looked at him and said You do remember history and he said Yes and I realise it He came to me with an important role in the series Lets see when the web series will see the light of the day because there are some issues with the makers Its a beautiful series and I got the opportunity to work with one of the best actors of our industry Subodh Bhave Its his first major Hindi workJuhi has also acted in Karan Joharproduced Dostana 2 which reportedly has been put on the back burner I was doing Dostana 2 Mukesh Chabbra casting director got me that film from Dharma Productions But the film got shelved I had shot for it 60 per cent I took up the role on Mukeshs advice He had said Didi do it because people need to know youre around and its a Dharma film so youll be watched youll be noticed she said I was never on social media never ever just before COVID I came on social media I started making little videos posting photographs I came on social media after shooting for Dostana 2 when the team of Dostana 2 told me that Im not even on Instagram and that people need to see you she addedJuhi has been garnering acclaim for her work in her latest film The Great Shamsuddin Family and her play Ek Lamha Zindagi The actor said she will continue to straddle between films and theatre Her mother acclaimed actor Nadira Babbar is a theatre veteran and has a company called Ekjute Theatre Group Before foraying into movies Juhi worked extensively in theatre with her mother She made her debut in 2003 with Kash Aap Hamare Hote opposite Sonu Nigam Juhi said initially her father Raj Babbar had some reservations about her acting in movies I expressed this to my parents my father was not very happy because he was like a typical protective father and he said no I too knew that my father would want me to finish my studies and thats the reason I did that and then spoke about acting But he wasnt happy Juhi said adding that she started working backstageJuhi then did a play when she was 21 Her mother offered her a role in the play called Yahudi Ki Ladki a famous Urdu play by Agha Hashar Kashmiri on the theme of persecution of Jews by the Romans followed by another play called Begum Jaan My father was watching that play Begum Jaan and after that he said Juhi you deserve a film This I think was my biggest achievement because my father didnt want me to act and now he was ready to make a film for me My father is the only actor whos actually made a film for his daughter because all other actors have only launched their sons In the Hindi film industry it was a huge step After that so many actors got inspiredToday you see this generation where so many actors are out there promoting their daughters which is fantastic But the one to start it was my dad she said In The Great Shamsuddin Family Juhi plays the role of Humaira the older sister of Bani Ahmed and Iram Bani is chasing an important writing deadline when her family including her two sisters mother and other relatives land at her home She has to complete her assignment while trying to defuse a domestic emergency Juhi said that as the eldest child in her family the role felt like a natural fitThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its 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