Says Gupta, "I've regretfully moved on with the casting. I wrote the film with Sanjay Dutt in mind and even shot with him. But then destiny, if we can call it that, intervened. And he made his inability to do the film expressly clear. He didn't tell me why. I didn't ask. All I can say is Sanjay Dutt and I never shared only a professional rapport. When a year ago he made his exit from Alibaug clear, I was not willing to accept it."

Alibaug is Gupta's most personal film. It deals with the time four years ago when he almost perished in a car accident. Dutt was slated to play a character based on Gupta. Says the regretful director, "Alibaug goes way beyond just another project for me. The entire cost of the film is what I charge as a director today. I could easily be making something else. Alibaug is being made for strictly personal reasons. Ironically, I suffered a huge personal loss (Dutt's friendship) during this film. If during its course one relationship was severed, I made ten other friends because of Alibaug. This film is vital to me and my actors. This film means a lot to them. I can't afford to let them down. We waited two years. Now I've no choice but to move on."

Why Irrfan? Explains Gupta, "I wasn't looking for a star as big as Sanjay Dutt. It's my good fortune that today, as a star, Irrfan has arrived. I was looking for a great performer. That Irrfan is. He's also a good human being. We spoke about the film 5-6 months ago. I need to re-shoot about 10-12 days of Sanjay's portion. It's a pity he's not there. It was a departure for Sanjay Dutt from everything he has done. But he sent me categorical messages saying he won't do it. I won't call Irrfan a replacement. Professionally and personally, Sanjay Dutt is irreplaceable in my life."

Adds Irrfan, "One day, Sanjay Gupta narrated the script to me in the car. I immediately fell for it. The problem was, I had to replace a star of Sanjay Dutt's stature. Fortunately, I've a very clear sense of his personality. I can occupy his space in Alibaug without having to worry about how he'd have played the role. I've tremendous admiration for Sanjay Dutt. He always plays his roles so straight and transparent. I'd like to achieve the same level of transparency in my performance. Actually, I've never replaced any actor before. I'd like to see my role in Alibaug as a new challenge rather than a replacement."