Tigmanshu Dhulia on casting Arshad Warsi as antagonist in Ghamasaan: ‘He is an uninhibited actor’
06 September,2026 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka Sharma
Ghamasaan, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, will premiere on ZEE5 on September 11 after its theatrical release was delayed. Dhulia reveals why he chose Arshad Warsi as the antagonist, praising his acting and performance in Sehar
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Two years after it was ready, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Ghamasaan is finally set to release, but not in the format he had envisioned. The dacoit action drama, starring Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi, will arrive on Zee 5 on September 11 after its planned 2024 theatrical release was delayed. So what caused the delay? While Dhulia left it to the producer to explain the deferral, he said, “The film was planned as a theatrical release. We shot it also for the widescreen, anamorphic lenses.” He added that it’s a “bittersweet” feeling to finally see the film release on OTT.
Pratik Gandhi in âGhamasaan’
The making of Ghamasaan, however, was anything but bittersweet. While the terrains of Chitrakoot in the Bundelkhand region mesmerised Dhulia enough to tell this story, his lead actors lent the heft he needed. Dhulia shared that he first discussed the film with Gandhi on the sets of The Great Indian Murder (2022), which he directed. “I admire his rise. You don’t get to see this often. It was his destiny and he proved to everybody what a great actor he is,” said Dhulia.
While casting Gandhi as the cop came easily, finding the right antagonist proved trickier. “We were toying with many names and nothing was hitting our heart,” said Dhulia. He was also unsure how the team would react to the idea of Warsi playing the antagonist.
“I have known Arshad since his first film, Tere Mere Sapne [1996]. I wrote more than half of that film, so I was on set a few times. That’s when I realised that he is special. He has that Govinda [vibe]. Then I watched his film, Sehar [2005], where he gave a great performance. And he is a master at comedy, and I liked that he is an uninhibited actor. They [are not embarrassed] and can portray any role that physically fits them,” recalled Dhulia.
To gauge the reaction to casting Warsi, Dhulia even called his sister. Her response sealed the deal the next day. “Every time I’d tell people that my film has Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi, their reaction would be, âWaah’,” he shared.
What’s next?
Arshad Warsi has âKing’ with Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty’s âGolmaal 5′ with Ajay Devgn, Kunal Kemmu, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, and Sharman Joshi. He is also filming for the third instalment of the popular series âAsur’ with Barun Sobti.
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Arshad WarsiPratik Gandhitigmanshu dhuliabollywood newsEntertainment News
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