Mirzapur: OTT Star Not Coming Out of Panchayat Hangover?

Jitendra faces Mirzapur casting debate

Mirzapur The Film has finally arrived in theatres after a long wait. The popular franchise, which entertained audiences for three successful seasons on OTT, has now made its debut on the big screen. The film opened to a strong response at the box office.

The film has received mostly positive reviews for its engaging storytelling and powerful characters. Fans have appreciated the way the makers expanded the popular series into a theatrical experience while retaining its familiar world.

One of the biggest changes, however, is the casting of Jitendra Kumar as Bablu Pandit in place of Vikrant Massey. Jitendra is widely loved for playing Sachiv Ji in Panchayat, but this new role has sparked mixed reactions among viewers.

Many social media users feel Jitendra Kumar could not completely separate himself from his Panchayat character. Some have even described this as one of his weakest performances, saying his screen presence reminded them more of Sachiv Ji than Bablu Pandit.

Several fans have also criticised the makers for not bringing back Vikrant Massey. Since most of the original cast returned, including Pankaj Tripathi as Kaleen Bhaiyya and Ali Fazal as Guddu, many viewers expected Bablu Pandit to be played by Vikrant as well.

The casting decision has now become one of the biggest talking points surrounding the film. Whether the criticism is mainly because Jitendra Kumar replaced Vikrant Massey or because audiences genuinely did not connect with his performance remains open to debate.