14 years of 'Eklavya': Did you know Sanjay Dutt almost got the lead role replacing Big B?

It's been 14 long years since Eklavya was released. Eklavya: The Royal Guard is an action thriller film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. According to Bollywood Hungama, when Eklavya was being shot, director Vidhu Vinod Chopra had lost his temper and was about to cast Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. On the occasion of 14 years of Eklavya, take a look at what happened on the sets of the movie.

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Sanjay Dutt almost made it to the lead role in Eklavya cast 

Once while filming, Vidhu Vinod Chopra wanted to shoot an important scene with Amitabh Bachchan, who played the lead role in the film. However, the actor did not turn up on time and the director was upset about the same. He thought of letting it go but the actor was late even the next day. Chopra got angry on the third day and what added to it his anger was the fact that the actor's assistant was avoiding Chopra's calls. He was furious. Vidhu Vinod Chopra had almost decided to cast Sanjay Dutt in the lead role replacing Big B. However, Sanjay was already playing a pivotal role in the film. 

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About Sanjay Dutt's Eklavya cast and plot

The plot of Eklavya revolves around Eklavya, a guard who is asked to guard members of a royal family. He also turns out to be the biological father of the prince, played by Saif Ali Khan. The story revolves around Eklavya trying his best to keep the secrets of the royal family hidden. The Eklavya characters also include Prince Harshvardhan played by Saif Ali Khan, DSP Pannalal Chohar, played by Dutt, and Rana Jyotiwardhan, played by Jackie Shroff.

Other actors who played supporting characters are Vidya Balan, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sharmila Tagore, Raima Sena and Boman Irani. Sanjay Dutt is seen playing the role of DSP Pannalal Chohar who is asked to investigate into the death threats the king has been receiving, but fails to do so. Even though Vinod Vinod Chopra did change his mind about casting Sanjay in the lead, the actor went on to do other films with him like P.K, for which Chopra was a producer. He was also the producer of Sanjay Dutt's biographical film Sanju. 

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