Amitabh Bachchan had read the original script 12 years ago.
The project went through several changes whilst at scripting stage, the project originally was called Fifth Move when Vidhu Vinod Chopra wanted to direct this as an International movie, a few years later it was called 64 Squares. when it was finally ready to take of in 2014 Vidhu Vinod Chopra decided to only produce the film and signed on Bejoy Nambiar as director after working with him a year-and-a-half on the script. Whilst the shooting commenced the project was called Do and finally it was decided Wazir would be a more appropriate name for the film.
The first trailer of the movie was released on 18 Dec 2014 alongside PK (2014)which is also made by same production team. This is a common strategy with Vinod Chopra Films to release the trailer of their forthcoming film alongside their current release.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra had the script ready in early 2000's and wanted to make the film as a Hollywood project initially with American cast as he felt the Indian audiences were not mature enough to understand the plot around chess, he was keen to cast Dustin Hoffman or Anthony Hopkins as the leading actor, a script meeting was arranged with Dustin Hoffman but this didn't materialize.
Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar are acting along side each other for the first time. However they have worked together earlier in Farhan Akhtar's second directorial Lakshya (2004), where Amitabh Bachchan played the role of an army colonel.