Paresh Rawal 'perfect choice' to fill in for late Rishi Kapoor in 'Sharmaji Namkeen', says Farhan Akhtar

Actor-producer Farhan Akhtar shared why he feels veteran actor Paresh Rawal was the "perfect choice" to step into the shoes of late legendary actor Rishi Kapoor for 'Sharmaji Namkeen'.

'Sharmaji Namkeen', whose trailer was launched recently have piqued the interest of cinephiles who are looking forward to watching the late iconic star Rishi Kapoor lighting up the screen for one last time.

Kapoor plays the eponymous character of Sharma ji in the Hitesh Bhatia directorial.

However, due to his unfortunate demise, veteran actor Paresh Rawal was approached to play the character and completed the film.

Hence, this movie will mark the first time that Hindi cinema will witness two phenomenal actors playing one character on screen.

Farhan Akhtar, who is the producer of the movie, revealed the process of arriving at the decision of casting Rawal for Sharmaji's role.

He said, "When we discussed that we should recast the role, Paresh ji was on top of my list. I have always been an admirer of his work, and also had the opportunity to work with him."

"There is a certain personality type to Sharmaji's character, he is a person who can come across maybe tough from the outside but soft and emotional from inside. I feel there is part of Paresh ji that matches this kind of personality," he added.

Farhan noted, "Everyone knows that he is an incredibly gifted actor so will he be able to pull it off or not was never our concern. Embodying the essence of this character was the most important thing for me. He was absolutely the best person to do it."

Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, 'Sharmaji Namkeen' is an Excel Entertainment Production in association with Macguffin Pictures.

Apart from Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal, the movie also features Juhi Chawla, Suhail Nayyar, Taaruk Raina, Satish Kaushik, Sheeba Chaddha and Isha Talwar in pivotal roles.

'Sharmaji Namkeen' will have its exclusive global premiere on March 31, 2022 on Amazon Prime Video.

( With inputs from ANI )