Bollywood Director Suneel Darshan Reveals Surprising Casting Decision for 2005 Hit Film

In an exclusive interview, Bollywood director Suneel Darshan has shed light on a surprising casting decision he made over 15 years ago. Darshan, who had enjoyed a successful working relationship with Akshay Kumar in several previous films, ended up casting Bobby Deol in the lead role for his 2005 film Barsaat.

The move raised eyebrows at the time, especially considering Darshan was reportedly not on good terms with Bobby's brother, Sunny Deol, during that period. However, Darshan clarifies that the casting change was driven by professional reasons, not personal ones. "Akshay had become extremely busy by then," Darshan explained. "The role required a certain freshness and youthful energy, and I felt Bobby could bring that to the screen at that point in his career."

While Darshan didn't publicly elaborate on the exact reason for replacing Akshay Kumar, he did hint at a turning point. "There was an incident, after which I had to replace him with Bobby Deol," Darshan admitted. The connection was eventually made through Mr. Bhakshi, who had earlier worked as Dharmendra's secretary and was later handling Bobby's career.

The collaboration marked the beginning of a successful working relationship. After Barsaat, Darshan and Bobby Deol went on to work together on two more films: Dosti: Friends Forever (2005) and Shaka Laka Boom Boom (2007). "There were no disturbances in our relationship throughout those projects," Darshan added.

In the end, the decision to cast Bobby Deol in Barsaat may have surprised many, but for Suneel Darshan, it was a professional call — one that resulted in a strong creative partnership that lasted several films.