Tabu's 2003 film Maqbool was supposed to have Akshay Kumar as lead. Learn more trivia here

Tabu is one of the most acclaimed actors in Bollywood. Some of Tabu's most prominent films include Jawani Jaaneman, Hum Sath Sath Hain, Drishyam, Cheeni Kum, etc. Having worked in films for more than 30 years, the hard-working actress has established herself as one of the leading stars in Indian cinema.

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In 2003, Tabu played the lead role in Vishal Bharadwaj’s crime-thriller, Maqbool, alongside Irrfan Khan. Pankaj Kapur and Om Puri also play pivotal roles in the movie. The film was loosely based on Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth. Here are some lesser-known facts about Maqbool. Read ahead to know more-

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Lesser-known facts about Maqbool

• The film was previously titled Miyan Maqbool.
• Vishal Bhardwaj's original choice for the role of Maqbool was Akshay Kumar.
• After Akshay refused to star in the film, Randeep Hooda was approached. But, Randeep was in a contract with Ram Gopal Verma and could not sign the film. Later, Irrfan Khan was signed.
• Manoj Bajpayee approached Vishal Bharadwaj to play the lead role, but Vishal told Manoj that Irrfan was already signed.
• Aamir Khan launched the music of the film.
• Naseeruddin Shah was the first choice for Pankaj Kapur's role, but he turned it down. After he turned down the film, he recommended Pankaj Kapur for the role.

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• Director Vishal Bhardwaj initially wanted Pankaj Kapur to play the role of Kaka, but later changed his mind and cast him in the role of Abbaji.
• Maqbool was officially Irrfan Khan's first lead role as a hero in a Bollywood production, as The Warrior (2001), released a few years earlier in film festivals, was an International British film in Hindi.
• Macbeth is Vishal Bhardwaj's favourite play. He wanted to make a movie for mature audiences after his debut with the children's movie Makdee (Shabana Azmi played the witch for free in that one) and chose his favourite dark-story.

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