Mumbai, Feb 7 (IANS): Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who is known for his work in films like ‘Black Friday’, ‘Maqbool’, ‘B.A. Pass’, ‘Lootera’ and others, has shared that auteur Anurag Kashyap kept his promise of casting him in his cult film ‘Dev.D’, which recently clocked 15 years of its release.

‘Dev.D’ marks a significant chapter in Hindi cinema echoing artistic brilliance and has been hailed for its path-breaking storytelling and bringing in a new dawn in Hindi cinema.

Walking down the memory lane, Dibyendu shared: "When Anurag was making ‘Dev.D’, I had expressed my desire to play Chunnilal as I have always been very keen to work with him. At that time, Anurag's 'Black Friday' had received a stay order, and the film's future was in the dark. Anurag told me that in case 'Black Friday' doesn't release, he might have to take a more celebrated actor to play Chunnilal and if the film releases he will cast me.”

He further mentioned that after a long wait of 3 years, not only did 'Black Friday' see the light but also did well.

“Anurag made an official announcement in the newspapers announcing Abhay Deol as ‘Dev.D’ and me as Chunnilal. It was like a beacon of hope to all the actors who were struggling. I recall Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) also calling to congratulate me. Can't believe it has been 15 years since then.”

The success and recognition that followed the film's release not only validated Dibyendu's wait but also solidified his position as a director's actor. The actor has, since then, given memorable performances in acclaimed projects such as 'Rocket Boys Season 1 & 2', 'Jamtara season 1 & 2’, 'Maharani season 2’ and others.

He has 'Poacher' for Prime Video and a Bengali film titled 'Bonobibi’ in the pipeline.