Vikrant Massey Says Mirzapur Crew Had 85 Percent Men: ‘We Were Indulging Our Male Egos’

Mirzapur is all set to move from OTT to the big screen with Mirzapur: The Movie, which is slated for a theatrical release in September. The teaser of the film was unveiled earlier this week and quickly went viral, sparking massive excitement among fans of the franchise.

While viewers were thrilled to see the return of fan-favourite characters such as Munna Bhaiya, played by Divyenndu, and Compounder, played by Abhishek Banerjee, one casting change immediately grabbed attention. Bablu Pandit, originally played by Vikrant Massey in the first season of Mirzapur, will return in the film, but the role will now be essayed by Jitendra Kumar.

Vikrant Massey On Bablu Pandit’s Death In Mirzapur

While the reason behind Vikrant Massey not returning as Bablu

Pandit remains unknown, the actor recently looked back at his Mirzapur journey during a conversation with FLO Bangalore Official. Reflecting on the show’s first season, Vikrant admitted that he still wishes his character had not been killed off.

“I wish they hadn’t killed me,” Vikrant said with a smile.

The actor also revealed that when Mirzapur first came his way, he had no idea that the series or Bablu Pandit would go on to become such a massive phenomenon.

“When Mirzapur came my way, it was actually just a bunch of enthusiastic people coming together. There were a lot of wonderful women who were a part of it too, but primarily the show had, say, maybe 85% men involved, both in front of and behind the camera. It was simply a group of people who came together and said, ‘Let’s make this show,’” he recalled.

Vikrant Massey Praises Excel Entertainment’s Vision

Vikrant also praised Excel Entertainment for backing a story set in the Indian hinterland at a time when such narratives had not yet become as common in mainstream entertainment.

“So it was just a bunch of people getting together, going out there and indulging our testosterones, our male egos, or patriarchy, if you could say,” he said.

The actor’s comments reflect how Mirzapur arrived at a time when Indian streaming was still finding its grammar. With its violent world, memorable characters and hinterland setting, the series quickly became one of the defining titles of the OTT boom in India.

Vikrant Massey Recalls Mirzapur Fame

Vikrant also remembered the moment he realised that Mirzapur had become a rage. The actor said he was in Lucknow shooting for Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi when the show released. Within hours, he began seeing the impact of Bablu Pandit’s popularity.

“I remember very vividly that I was in Lucknow the day the show came out. I was shooting for a film called Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi. I was doing a 7 am to 7 pm shift. I entered the set around 6 or 6:30 am. It wasn’t even properly bright yet. But by the time the shoot was about to get over, I heard some chaos outside the location,” he said.

Vikrant shared that the team initially struggled with sound because a crowd had gathered outside the shooting location.

“The director and the assistants were finding it a little difficult to control the sound because we shoot in sync sound. And then we realised that there were at least 200-300 people outside the location because news had spread that Bablu Bhaiya was shooting there,” he recalled.

The actor said he was stunned because the response had arrived within less than a day of the show’s release.

“And this happened within 24 hours. The show launched at 12 midnight, and this was the next evening, so maybe after 17-18 hours. There were people on bikes following my car. They wanted pictures with me, they wanted selfies, and autographs. And that is when we realised that we’d actually made something good, something people were really enjoying watching,” Vikrant said.

Bablu Pandit Returns In Mirzapur: The Movie

Mirzapur: The Movie has generated curiosity not only because the franchise is moving to theatres, but also because several characters who died in the series appear to be returning for the film. However, Bablu Pandit remains the most talked-about return because the role has been recast.

Jitendra Kumar will now play Bablu Pandit in the film, replacing Vikrant Massey. This makes Bablu one of the few major returning characters from the franchise to come back with a different actor.

For longtime fans, Vikrant’s portrayal of Bablu Pandit remains one of the emotional anchors of Mirzapur Season 1. His character’s death became one of the show’s most shocking moments and helped shape the revenge-driven arc of the series.

With Mirzapur: The Movie now bringing Bablu back into the narrative, the recasting has added a new layer of conversation around the film. While fans wait to see how Jitendra Kumar steps into the role, Vikrant’s latest comments serve as a reminder of just how deeply Bablu Pandit had connected with viewers.