Sanjay Dutt was originally cast in Munna Bhai MBBS role says Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra revealed at the International Film Festival of India that Sanjay Dutt was originally cast as Zaheer in "Munna Bhai MBBS," a role later played by Jimmy Shergill. Dutt was not meant to be the lead character. Chopra mentioned that another star was initially set to play Munna Bhai but backed out last minute. While he did not name the star, speculation suggests it was Shah Rukh Khan. Chopra shared that Dutt approached the role casually, saying he would follow the director's guidance. He also noted that Dutt did not read the script before accepting the lead role.