Indian film director Rahul Dholaika considered top Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and Kaitrina for his film Raees, but none were the right fit. Instead, actress Mahira Khan caught his attention and was chosen to play Aasiya opposite Shahrukh Khan.
During his appearance as a guest on Mashable India, director Rahul Dholaika explained why he picked Mahira Khan for his film Raees.
“We wanted an 80s Muslim girl. Number one criteria is Hindi, secondly, her Urdu should have a little twang, if she has it, is even better. The other is she has to be innocent. Okay, now you have Shahrukh, who is 50, so you need someone whose screen age is 30-something or 35. You need somebody who is at least 30 plus or around 30 as an actress, now, an actress around 30 who is innocent. There are very few of them. There was Deepika, there was Kareena, and there was Anushka. So, there were these three or four heroines that were there.”
As the casting process went on, it became clear that finding an actress who fit all the requirements for Aasiya was not easy, Dholaika explained, saying, “So now, if you have these three or four heroines, then either they are too expensive, or the role is too small for them. So we went through that gamut, and we said, ‘Yeah, Sonam, Katrina,’ you know, went through the whole list of it. And then at the end of it all, we decided this is not working for us. If it’s working for Farhan, it’s not working for Shahrukh, it’s not working for Shahrukh and Farhan, not working for me. Now, you don’t want him to romance Alia, you know, or something like that. “
“I think Gauri’s mom had seen Mahira, and my mom had seen Mahira independently. I told the casting director, ‘Do you know her? What do you think of her?’ So, he said, ‘She’s here in BB Fashion.’ That’s how it happened,” the Raees director added.
Raees was released in 2017, with Shahrukh Khan, Mahira Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pawan Singh, Mohd Zeeshan Ayub, and Raj Arjun starring in the film.
Tag: Deepika
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Why Mahira Khan was picked over Kareena, Deepika, and Katrina for Raees
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Deepika Padukone’s heartwarming gesture for Sania Mirza
Indian actress Deepika Padukone recently sent a thoughtful gift to former tennis star Sania Mirza, who expressed her gratitude on social media. Sania took to her Instagram account to share a picture of the gift and thanked the actress, saying, “Thank you Deepika.”
In her post, Sania also shared a message sent by Deepika, where the actress expressed her admiration for Sania’s achievements. Deepika highlighted Sania’s dedication to self-care and mentioned sending a care package containing various body care items as a token of appreciation.
Among the items included in the care package were self-care creams and lotions, as well as products from Deepika’s own brand called 82E, including beauty creams and skin and body enhancing creams.
Before receiving the gift, Sania shared pictures of herself having a good time with her family on social media. These nice pictures gave a peek into Sania’s personal life and made her followers happy.
Overall, the exchange of gifts between Deepika Padukone and Sania Mirza serves as a heartwarming reminder of the importance of supporting and appreciating one another, especially on occasions like International Women’s Day
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Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh confirm first baby
Bollywood power couple, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, have delighted fans with the confirmation of their impending parenthood. In a joint Instagram post, the duo announced that they are expecting their first child, due in September next year. While they kept the baby’s gender under wraps, the post featured both blue and pink hues, sparking speculation and excitement among followers.
Rumors about Deepika’s pregnancy had been swirling for days, and the couple’s confirmation finally put the speculation to rest. Their relationship has been a topic of admiration since they tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Italy in November 2018, following years of dating.
In a recent interview, Deepika expressed excitement when asked about motherhood, stating that she and Ranveer are eagerly awaiting the day they start expanding their family. The news of their impending parenthood has set off a wave of congratulations and well-wishes from fans and fellow celebrities alike, marking the beginning of a new chapter for one of Bollywood’s most beloved couples.
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Deepika expecting first child: Indian media reports
Bollywood queen Deepika Padukone and husband Ranveer Singh are expecting their first child, The Week has reported.
The actress is reportedly in her second trimester. Rumors about the actress being pregnant gained strength on February 19 when she appeared at the BAFTA awards in a dress that concealed her midriff.
The actress, who married fellow A-lister Ranveer in 2018, has talked about becoming a mother in multiple interviews. In January this year, she was asked if she looked forward to becoming a mom, to which she replied, “Absolutely. Ranveer and I love children. We look forward to the day when we will start our own family.”
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‘What Deepika did in Gehraiyaan, I did that 15 years ago but media tortured me’: Mallika Sherawat
Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat is currently gearing up for the release of her on-screen comeback with RK/RKay. While promoting the film, the Murder star shared how a section of the industry always spoke about her body and glamour but never her acting.
She also compared fellow actress Deepika Padukone’s performance in Gehraiyaan with her film Murder, saying that she did similar work over 15 years back.
Talking about the changes she is seeing in the film industry, the actor said, “Earlier, the heroines were either too good, sati-savitri types who were too innocent to know anything, or they were the characterless vamps. These were the only two types of roles written for heroines. The change that we see now, shows women as humans. She can be happy or sad. She can make mistakes, she can falter, and you love them despite all of that. The heroines are more confident about their bodies as well.”
Sherawat added that she was mentally tortured by a section of the industry as they only spoke about her ‘bold image’. “Such hue and cry was created when I did Murder. People said all kinds of things about the kiss and the bikini. What Deepika did in Gehraiyaan, I did that 15 years ago, but people were too narrow-minded back then. I should tell you that a section of the industry and media was mentally torturing me. These people only talked about my body and glamour, not my acting. I worked in Dasavatharam, Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Welcome, but none talked about my acting.”
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DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor praises Deepika for being ‘a brave person’
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor praised #DeepikaPadukone for being a brave person and “standing both with youth and the truth.”
However, later he deleted his tweet for reasons unknown.
Deepika won the appreciation of the public after she visited Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to stand in solidarity with the students who were protesting after masked assailants wielding batons and iron rods attacked the university leaving more than two dozen injured.
According to an Indian journalist, the masked mob was linked to a BJP linked student group. They barged into hostel rooms and assaulted left-wing students and also beat up visually impaired people. There were reports that they were carrying acid as well.
Deepika’s presence at the protest signifies that she is most likely standing with them in protest of these BJP-linked attacks and not the tuition fees hike protests that had been happening at the university earlier. The hostel fee hike is an ongoing issue and protests were held against it previously.
Previously, in a media interaction when asked about the ongoing protests, Deepika had said that she is proud that the students are not scared of expressing themselves.
“I feel proud about it that people are coming out – be it on the streets or wherever they are – they are raising their voice and expressing themselves as it is important. If we want to see change in life and society, it is important that a point of view be put forward,” Deepika had said.
Meanwhile, several other Bollywood personalities including Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dia Mirza, Rahul Bose, Richa Chadha and Taapsee Pannu led hundreds of people in a peaceful protest against the violence.