Even as producer Vinod Bachchan is set to present his women-centric drama, 'Jahan Chaar Yaar', fronted by Swara Bhasker, Meher Vij, Shikha Talsania, and Pooja Chopra, he makes a rather interesting revelation. Bachchan says he was keen to have Kareena Kapoor Khan be the face of his film, but opines that the actor turned it down because top female actors “want solo-heroine movies, and don’t want to play the part of a mother”.

Bachchan, who also approached other female actors before knocking on Bhasker’s door, says, “[It was my] heartfelt desire that Kareena play the role that Swara does now. We sent the script to her talent management agency, but didn’t get any response. Some were unhappy that the director was new, but I have always delivered super-hit movies with new directors. Aanand L Rai, who directed Tanu Weds Manu, was my discovery.”

He points out that in this day and age, a movie script may be turned down in the meeting room of the artiste’s talent management agency, before it can even reach the hands of the actor. For this film, he was in search of a bunch of actors who could share a certain camaraderie.

“Meher, Shikha, and Pooja came on board after the narration, while Swara was the last one to be cast. But today, which heroine wants to play the role of a mother to an 11-year-old child? Swara is a brilliant actress, and has performed the part so well. The moment she heard the script, she loved it. The four characters are married women from small towns of North India, so, the actors had to pull off their roles with maturity. I realised that for this film, I didn’t need a top star but a talented performer, and Swara fit that role.” 

While Bachchan had faith in the actors’ abilities, he had to “hire a tutor for Pooja for two months to teach her the language”.

“She also stayed with a Muslim family in Pune for a day or two. To arrive at the right on-screen chemistry, the four characters took part in workshops and visited cafes.”