Amitabh Bachchan opts out of Nagraj Manjule's Jhund?

After the massive success of filmmaker Nagraj Manjule's Marathi film Sairat (2015), his foray into Hindi cinema was welcomed by many critics and fans. However, the project seems to have run into some trouble. The Mumbai Mirror, a tabloid, reported that veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has now chosen to opt out of the project citing its frequent delays. 

Bachchan was reported to begin filming for the film post his schedule for the Aamir Khan starrer, Thugs of Hindostan. The actor was roped in to play a character based on the social activist Vijay Barse, who established the NGO Slum Soccer in Nagpur, to help children find a way past their troubles through football. The actor had also taken up practicing football, years after he played it in college. 

However, the film's constant delays have ended up dissappointing Bachchan. The report quoted a source as saying, "Mr Bachchan had committed himself to the film last year, but the shooting kept getting delayed without any clarity. As he had to give those dates to other filmmakers and was unable to wait any longer, he has decided to opt out." 

The actor has also returned the signing amount to the makers of the film. 

Manjule had professed his admiration for the senior actor when he signed him on for the project. Recalling how he imitated Bachchan's style, and tied his shirt up in knots in a similar way, Manjule had said, "I started working on the script after Sairat was wrapped up. Even though it is based on a real-life character, the way I’ve written the part and the film, it moves far away from the source." 

For now, there is no confirmation about the development from the makers of Jhund.