# Jitendra Kumar’s Bablu Pandit Role Faces Mirzapur Audience Test 2026-08-14T16:31:28+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Mirzapur: The Movie has replaced Vikrant Massey with Jitendra Kumar as Bablu Pandit, a role Massey played from the franchise’s first season in 2018. Binged argues that the change may be difficult for viewers who closely associate Bablu with Massey’s face, voice and performance. The change also asks audiences to separate Kumar from his popular roles as Jitu Bhaiya in Kota Factory and Sachiv Ji in Panchayat. The film’s theatrical release will make audience acceptance a direct box-office test, as viewers must pay for tickets rather than simply watch a streaming series. A strong performance from Kumar may still depend on whether audiences see Bablu, rather than his earlier characters. ## Coverage - binged.com Tags: Excel Entertainment, Jitendra Kumar, Kota Factory, Mirzapur, Vikrant Massey Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jitendra-kumars-bablu-pandit-role-faces-mirzapur-audience-test/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jitendra-kumars-bablu-pandit-role-faces-mirzapur-audience-test/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.