Imtiaz Ali is one of the most renowned filmmakers in Bollywood. From Jab We Met and Tamasha to Love Aaj Kal and Amar Singh Chamkila, he has given gems of movies across generations. Since he is best known for creating Bollywood’s most iconic characters, including Deepika Padukone’s Tara and Alia Bhatt’s Veera in Highway, let’s revisit the time when Imtiaz revealed his original casting choices for some of his most popular characters. Read on to know more.
Imtiaz Ali On Casting Kareena Kapoor Khan For Jab We Met
In an interview with Game Changer, Imtiaz Ali revealed small details about his casting process and shared that Kareena Kapoor Khan was always his first choice to play Geet in Jab We Met. He shared, “When I am writing, there is a figure in my mind. When you meet people, they match the spirit of the character. I always wanted Kareena for Jab We Met. Initially, this wasn’t happening, but then she came in to do the film, and it worked out. She was my first choice to play Geet.
Imtiaz Ali On Casting Alia Bhatt For Highway
Further talking about Highway, Imtiaz shared that at first he imagined casting an older actor who is more experienced for the role, but ended up casting Alia Bhatt, who had just marked her debut with Student Of The Year. “There is no arithmetic in our work; it’s an instinctive process. I thought I would cast a 30-year-old, mature actor for Highway – someone who had seen the world and would rebel. But when I met Alia, I thought, ‘This is the girl.’ Alia was just 18 at that time, but she had the emotional depth the character needed. She hadn’t done much work then, and I hadn’t even seen her film Student Of The Year, but the way she spoke — it was very charming. She had a quality about her that was fantastic for this part,” he added.
Mahesh Bhatt Helped Convince Alia Bhatt To Sign For Highway
The filmmaker went on to reveal that Mahesh Bhatt also tried to convince her to take the role in Highway. Imtiaz concluded, “I used to go to her house, and Bhatt sahab was trying to convince her to do it. She was a bit scared because every scene had her in it. She doubted whether she would be able to do it since it wasn’t an easy film to take on.”
Alia Bhatt’s Upcoming Movies
Alia Bhatt marked her acting debut with Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year alongside Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in 2012. On the work front, Alia has multiple projects lined up, including Alpha, Love & War, and Jee Le Zaraa.
For more such stories, check out Bollywood Features!
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News
