Gadar 2 actor Manish Wadhwa says he was asked to turn down Sunny Deol starrer - here's why

Manish Wadhwa plays the antagonist in Gadar 2 opposite Sunny Deol. The actor is busy promoting the film and shared how he got the part in the sequel. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that people asked him to reject the film as Sunny Deol has not been "very active" in the industry. After its release, Gadar 2 has broken several box office records and is on its way to earning Rs 400 crore at the box office.  

3 things you need to know

• Manish Wadhwa plays the antagonist Major General Hamid Iqbal in Gadar 2.
• The Anil Sharma directorial is one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time.
• Gadar 2 was released on August 11 alongside Akshay Kumar's OMG 2. 

Manish Wadhwa opens up about playing the villain in Gadar 2

Speaking to Bollywood Thikana, the Chandragupta Maurya actor revealed how people asked him to wait for a better opportunity and pass on Gadar 2. He recalled that when he was offered the film, he felt that something good was going to happen. However, some people asked him to wait and not accept the offer, saying that the sequel was coming after 22 years after the first film. 

Manish said he was cautioned by people who told him that director Anil Sharma and actors Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel too have not been active in the industry for long' However, he still went ahead with the decision and accepted the film.

 You are exactly what I want: Anil Sharma told Manish Wadhwa

In the same interview, Manish opened up about what happened when he went to meet Gadar 2 director for the role. The 51-year-old actor revealed that the team had been "looking hard" for a villain and even searched for a face in the South film industry. 

However, they didn't find the right person who would be able to portray the role. Manish said that when he went to meet Anil Sharma, he immediately recognised him as Chanakya (Chandragupta Maurya) from his popular TV show. The director was impressed by him but asked him to meet Sunny Deol as he was quite worried about who will play the villain.

(A still from Gadar 2 | Image: YouTube)

"You have good Hindi, you have a good voice, you are exactly what I want. But, you will have to meet Sunny Deol first since he is quite worried about who will play the villain in the film,” Manish Wadhawa recalled the director telling him.

Meanwhile, Gadar 2 is busy making waves at the box office. The film has earned Rs 377 crore at Indian box office. Speaking about the success of the film, Manish said he knew that something good would happen but had no idea that it would "escalate to this level".