Casting of Sara Arjun opposite Ranveer Singh stalwart The trailer sparked widespread discussion after its release, especially regarding the notable age difference between the two actors. Now, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that he and director Aditya Dhar were initially unsure about finalizing her for the role.
Exclusive: Mukesh Chhabra admits he and Aditya Dhar were initially unsure about casting Sara Arjun opposite Ranveer Singh; Says, “She matched the brief perfectly”
talking specifically with IHNSChhabra explained that the team had always planned to cast a completely new face for the role rather than a familiar actress. He said, “Right from the beginning, Aditya and I were very clear that we needed a face who looked like he belonged to that world. There shouldn’t be any baggage. A fresh face works better. If we had cast someone who had already done two films, the connection wouldn’t feel right because the guy is meeting her for the first time.”
He further added, “Sara had done a few films as a child artiste, but she had never done this before as a full-fledged heroine in a Bollywood film. The idea was to cast the character, not think of it as casting a typical lead.”
Over 1,000 auditions were held before Sara Arjun was shortlisted
Chhabra revealed that the team conducted an extensive audition process that lasted for about a year before narrowing down the choices. “We were very clear that if we’re entering that world, the audience should be wondering who the girl is. We did over 1,200 to 1,300 auditions. It was clear that we wanted a new face and we wanted a fresh face.”
He also shared that the brief required someone who looked authentic to the setting of the film and could handle both Hindi and Urdu fluently while projecting innocence and simplicity on screen. “My brief was very clear. She should look like she belongs there. The language should be right. Her Hindi should be very clear and her Urdu should also be very clear. There should be innocence and simplicity on her face because Ranveer’s character is attracted to that girl.”
According to Chhabra, the shortlist gradually whittled down from hundreds to just a handful of candidates before Sara appeared in a crucial audition scene. “We got down to 100, then 50, then 30, then 20 and finally 10. After auditioning the final 10, there were three or four very good actors but Sarah was closest to what the brief required. There were two or three others who were close, but she matched that exactly.”
The makers initially thought she looked too young
Chhabra admitted that both he and Aditya Dhar initially wondered whether Sara Arjun looked too young for the role. He decided to conduct another look test before taking the final decision. “Initially we thought she looked a little young. We thought let’s do another look test and change the makeup a bit so that she doesn’t look too young. That was the doubt in the beginning.”
After additional look tests, the team became confident about the casting decision and finalized him for the role. “We did another look test here with a different makeup approach and then it worked. It’s very hard work.”
