The film, beloved by millions, was conceived in a completely different way.
The lyrical comedy “Afonya” was released in the autumn of 1975. The audience immediately liked the picture, and in a few months more than 60 million people watched it. The audience was delighted with the story of the plumber Afanasy Borshchov and the acting. At the same time, director Georgy Danelia initially considered completely different artists for the main roles.
So, the director conducted tests with several famous artists. His candidates were Vladimir Vysotsky, Daniil Olbrikhsky and Leonid Kuravlev. And for the famous bard Danelia even prepared a special episode where he sings with a guitar. But the director nevertheless chose Kuravlev. The actor, in his opinion, was ideally suited for the role of a plumber with a difficult fate.
“There is a secret in Kuravlev. His Athos is forgiven what they would never have forgiven others, Danelia admitted.
As a result, the audience highly appreciated the choice of the director. Millions of fans admit that they cannot imagine other actors in the lead role, and especially Vysotsky, whose performance would definitely deprive the film of its charm.
