Shekhar Suman 'regrets' missing out on Chunnilal in ‘Devdas’ but finding redemption with ‘Heeramandi’: 'That compensated me'

Shekhar Suman has admitted to regret from his career, turning down the role of Chunnilal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ (2002). Looking back, he shared that working with Bhansali later on ‘Heeramandi’ (2024) helped him reach a younger audience. The actor also maintained that he has never taken on projects that don’t align with his own sense of value.The actor opened up about a missed opportunity from his career, revealing that he was once offered a role in 'Devdas'. Speaking to India Today, he said, “Devdas. The film was offered to me — the Chunni bhai’s role.” However, he shared that he had to turn it down due to a packed schedule at the time. “At that time, I was neck-deep in 'Movers and Shakers', doing it five times a week. Much as I wanted to do it, I could not, and I regret not doing it,” he said.Shekhar also expressed his admiration for Bimal Roy’s 1955 ‘Devdas’, recalling the performances of Dilip Kumar and Suchitra Sen as Devdas and Paro and Motilal as Chunnilal. “That film has always been very special to me,” he said, noting that if anyone could reinterpret it after Bimal Roy, it would be Bhansali. “What a fantastic job he has done,” the actor added. Reflecting on missing out on Bhansali’s Devdas, Suman said, “Some you win, some you lose. You should not be too regretful about it. It was probably not meant to be.” He further added, “But I got to work with him in 'Heeramandi', so that compensated me.”The veteran actor described ‘Heeramandi’ as a turning point that helped him rediscover his career and reach a new generation of viewers. Speaking about whether the series gave him renewed momentum, he said, “Yes, I guess so. That one role gives you another lease of five years, 10 years — and then it goes on.”Shekhar Suman has appeared in several famous movies such as ‘Tridev’, ‘Sansar’, ‘Naache Mayuri’, ‘Chor Machaye Shor’, ‘Ek Se Badhkar Ek’, and ‘Pati Parmeshwar’.