Shahid-Alia-Kareena
Shahid Kapoor on how the casting for Udta Punjab fell in place…
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 24, 2015)

How that Shandaar has come and gone without a whimper, all eyes are on Shahid Kapoor’s next. Early next year, Shahid and Alia Bhatt are coming together once more, with Kareena Kapoor Khan in a special appearance for Udta Punjab. Our source reveals, “The makers are eyeing an early 2016 release for Udta Punjab. It will release mostly around February-end or in March.”

Shahid calls it a ‘special film’. He says, “Udta Punjab on paper might seem dark and edgy, but once you see that film, I can assure you it’s the kind of role any actor would die for. When I heard the script, I instantly agreed. There were three other characters and we were waiting for them to be cast. Nobody was saying yes to the film and we could not start. It took some time for the film to get cast.”

After sitting through the narration, the first thing Shahid did was recommend Bebo’s name to director Abhishek Chaubey. “Actually, I never wanted to recommend Kareena because I was scared thinking about how people will perceive that again. When I was narrated the film, I thought of Kareena even before Alia. The role that Kareena plays, I felt she was just perfect for the role.” Bebo being Bebo took her own sweet time to give her nod for a script reading session. Shahid continues, “But then somehow, maybe Kareena was not free and it got a bit delayed. Then somehow within that month, Kareena heard the script and said yes to the film. It kind of happened and I felt really happy when it did.”

About Alia, he says, “Initially, when Kareena didn’t have time for the narration, I told Alia that woh role ki casting toh nahi ho rahi hai, tu yeh role karegi kya? She read that role and she said she really liked it.” Shahid’s all praise for both his co-actors. Alia’s performance in the film ‘bowled’ him over, “Alia has an amazing role in the film. In fact, everyone’s role in that film is incredibly good. But at that point of time, maybe I had just learnt to take risks with Haider paying off, I have become a little more fearless. A lot of people were not confident enough to take up a film like Udta Punjab and it required a lot of confidence as an actor and as a star because as a star, you are doing things to surprise the people and you don’t know how they will eventually react. As an actor, all roles are very challenging. When I told Alia to go through it, I felt Alia is as much an actor as she is a star. So therefore she would understand what potential that content had and she did.”

What about Kareena? “Obviously, I feel she’s the best thing about the film because I was the one to give her name and I think highly of her as an actor,” he signs off.