Mirzapur's Harshita Gaur on Jitendra Kumar replacing Vikrant Massey: 'It felt like he was always there'

Replacing an actor in a role audiences already love is one of the toughest assignments in showbiz, and Harshita Gaur knows it. The actor, who plays Dimpy Pandit in Mirzapur, has weighed in on Jitendra Kumar stepping in for Vikrant Massey in the franchise's upcoming film, Mirzapur The Movie, and her verdict is that the transition was smoother than many might expect.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Harshita was careful not to speak on Jitendra's behalf, saying, "He would be able to answer that best."

She explained that the acting itself wouldn't have been the hurdle. In her view, Jitendra is a strong performer, and every new character comes with its own set of challenges. The real pressure, she suggested, comes from walking into a story whose world is already fully formed, where viewers have formed a bond with whoever came before. She admitted that she would have found it daunting too, adding, "I would have felt that way if I were in his position."

Once cameras rolled, though, any awkwardness disappeared. According to Harshita, the cast noticed no gap at all, and Jitendra blended into the group so naturally that it seemed as though he had been part of the journey from day one. As she put it, "it felt like he was always there."

Harshita's comments come as she juggles two very different projects with Mirzapur co-star Divyendu. In the crime drama, his character Munna Tripathi wreaked havoc on Dimpy's family, but in the web series Waiting Hai, she plays his devoted wife. She told the outlet she doesn't dwell on the contrast, trusting viewers to separate actors from the characters they play.

During the same conversation, she also spoke warmly about Ravi Kishan, who joins Mirzapur The Movie. Although the two don't share scenes, she said she spent plenty of time with him off set and was struck by his youthful enthusiasm and his approach to every scene as if it were his first, despite a career spanning decades.