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7 unconventional Bollywood castings that ruled hearts: Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab to Shah Rukh Khan in Darr
Here is a curated list of 7 instances where filmmakers in Bollywood went off-road and picked actors very different from the roles they had played. So, let's take a closer look at it.
Casting plays an important part in any film as it has to be related to the kind of character an actor will portray. In some instances, the makers go against the tide and cast someone who is the polar opposite of the character they are going to play on screen. Sometimes, it backfired; other times, it managed to rule our hearts. From Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab to Shah Rukh Khan in Darr, here is a list of seven such instances of unconventional casting in Bollywood.
Seven Unconventional Casting Decisions in Bollywood
1. Shah Rukh Khan in Darr (1993)
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Sunny Deol
- Director: Yash Chopra
- Writer: Honey Irani, Javed Siddiqui
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Darr is a 1993 romantic thriller helmed by Yash Chopra and is remembered for Shah Rukh Khan's delicious portrayal of a psychopath, one-sided lover. His stammering delivery of the word 'Kiran' has been immortalized in pop culture. But back then, casting a young and sweet-looking SRK was not a conventional thing to do. He did not look like a typical villain and was only a year old in the film industry. Thankfully, this decision proved fruitful, and the rest is history.
2. Dhanush in Raanjhanaa (2013)
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Stars: Abhay Deol, Sonam Kapoor, Dhanush
- Director: Aanand L. Rai
- Writer: Himanshu Sharma
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Zee5, Jio Cinema
Raanjhanaa marks the Bollywood debut of popular Tamil cinema actor Dhanush. Prior to this, no one would have imagined him in a Hindi film because of the language barrier and cultural differences. However, the actor brilliantly went into the world created by Aanand L. Rai, and the result was a critical and commercial success.
3. Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab (2016)
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Stars: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh
- Director: Abhishek Chaubey
- Writer: Abhishek Chaubey, Sudip Sharma
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Netflix
Alia Bhatt is one of the finest actresses in Bollywood. However, when one thinks of a Bihari migrant laborer, it is hard to imagine Alia in that character. But the actress proved everyone wrong and went into the character's skin seamlessly in Udta Punjab. She was also coached by none other than Pankaj Tripathi in the Bihari dialect. Upon release, both the film and her performance received heaps of praise.
4. Hrithik Roshan in Guzaarish (2010)
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
- Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Writer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhavani Iyer, Vibhu Puri
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: YouTube (buy/rent)
Hrithik Roshan is considered the Greek god of Bollywood by many and is known for his incredible physique. Now, imagine a film where he can't move his muscles below his neck and remains in the wheelchair throughout. Hard to imagine? Well, Sanjay Leela Bhansali took the risk and decided to cast Hrithik in the performance-driven drama Guzaarish, which proved that he is more than just his physical appearance.
5. Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat (2018)
- IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
- Stars: Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh
- Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Writer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Prakash Kapadia
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Prime Video
Ranveer Singh started his career by playing a nice and cute Delhi boy, and his subsequent roles also cemented his image as a chocolaty boy. But for the second time, Bhansali went against the norm and cast an actor totally opposite of what he was known for. That is how Ranveer's Alauddin Khilji came on the big screen. His ferocious approach to the character was well-received, and the film also turned out to be a commercial success.
6. Saif Ali Khan in Omkara (2006)
- IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
- Stars: Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor
- Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
- Writer: Vishal Bhardwaj, Robin Bhatt, Abhishek Chaubey
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Prime Video
Saif Ali Khan had built his image of a metrosexual man thanks to his roles in various films, especially Dil Chahta Hai. However, he managed to turn heads with his rugged performance as Ishwar Langda Tyagi in Vishal Bhardwaj's Bollywood adaptation of Othello, Omkara. Defying all expectations, Saif was able to give an earnest performance as a UP criminal with his distinct accent and body language.
7. Bhumi Pednekar in Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Stars: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
- Director: Sharad Katariya
- Writer: Sharad Katariya
- Where to watch/OTT Platform: Prime Video
Bhumi Pednekar was working at Yash Raj Films as a casting assistant and worked under casting director Shanoo Sharma. At one point, the team decided to cast her opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in Sharad Katariya's directorial Dum Laga Ke Haisha. For the role, Bhumi had to put up a weight of around 12 kg. The result was that the unknown Bhumi was suddenly catapulted into fame, thanks to her fantastic performance as a newly married woman dealing with several issues.
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