Mirzapur director: Jitendra Kumar recast a ‘blessing in disguise’

Director Gurmmeet Singh has said replacing Vikrant Massey with Jitendra Kumar as Bablu Pandit in 'Mirzapur: The Movie' was a 'blessing in disguise' that allowed the team to reimagine the character with more agency. The film, released on 4 September, has earned over Rs 270 crore in India gross collections and a worldwide gross of Rs 333.29 crore as of day 27, according to Sacnilk.

Singh told SCREEN that the recasting gave the film its own identity and let the team reshape Bablu from a supporting victim into someone who 'is playing the game' and 'driving the narrative'. He also revealed that the car-chase banter between Ali Fazal and Divyenndu was largely improvised, with Fazal driving at 60 km/h while firing two guns. The director said the CBFC was 'cognisant' of mature storytelling but remains stringent to prevent underage viewing.

Singh said the franchise could return in an undetermined format, adding, 'Never say never' when asked about expanding the Mirzapur universe. Actor Shweta Tripathi confirmed that writing for season 4 has begun.

Update, 4 October 2026: Director Gurmmeet Singh told SCREEN that the recasting allowed the team to reimagine Bablu with more agency and called it a 'blessing in disguise'. He revealed that the car-chase banter between Ali Fazal and Divyenndu was improvised, with Fazal driving at 60 km/h while firing two guns. The Times of India, Bollywood Hungama and Cinema Express also report these comments. Shweta Tripathi told Bollywood Hungama that writing for season 4 has begun.