When 2 States was released, it seemed like a breath of fresh air — for readers who loved Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel, for moviegoers discovering the story for the first time. The on-screen pairing of Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt became an instant favourite, and the peppy music of the film has struck a chord with every young couple in love. But behind the scenes, not everyone was initially convinced, including the author himself.
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, 2 States creator Chetan Bhagat admitted that he was disappointed when newcomers were cast in the lead roles, especially after hearing that big stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were being considered.
“For a couple of terms, bigger stars were being talked about. Shah Rukh Khan was under consideration. There was also a time when Vishal Bhardwaj was going to make it. Then names like Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were being discussed. I think there were many articles and speculations about the casting,” recalls Bhagat.
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“But when they finally said that the director was new and the lead actor was Arjun Kapoor, who was only one film old (Ishaqzaade), alongside Alia Bhatt, who only bagged the Student of the Year award, I was not convinced. This was not what was originally discussed. But it turned out to be a great choice – their freshness and youth made the film what it was,” he added.
Chetan Bhagat also spoke about facing similar doubts while making Kai Po Che!, another successful adaptation of his book The Three Mistakes of My Life.
“For Kai Po Che! Also, we had completely new actors. We tried everyone, but they all said no. All the stars rejected it, so we had to cast Sushant Singh Rajput, who was a TV actor at that time, along with Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh, whose names were unknown. I had very little hope for the film – but it has become one of the best adaptations. And now, all three are established stars,” he said.
(Tags for translation) Shah Rukh Khan
