Can you imagine Badmaash Company without Shahid Kapoor? Here’s how he stepped in despite rejecting film

Badmaash Company, starring Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. The film, which went on to become a big hit, was written by Parmeet Sethi. Now, the writer revealed that Shahid initially rejected the film to work in his father Pankaj Kapur’s film. However, after going through the script of Badmaash Company, he made a surprising switch. The actor opted to join the con caper and turned down his father’s project.

In an interview with SCREEN, writer Parmeet Sethi shared that Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan were in much demand during the time Badmaash Company was being cast. However, Ranbir was already working on a similar film, Rocket Singh, so he didn’t consider approaching him. 

He added that the first choice for him was Shahid Kapoor, as he believed that he could play both a middle-class boy and a flashy, wealthy persona—a transformation crucial to the film’s storyline.

Revealing that Shahid initially rejected the film, Parmeet said, “At first Shahid said no, as he wanted to work on his father’s film, but later, when he read the script, he dropped his dad’s movie to do Badmaash Company.” 

The writer further admitted that though he was 'quite happy' to have Shahid Kapoor on board for Badmaash Company, he was initially skeptical about Anushka Sharma’s casting. He revealed that Aditya Chopra recommended her, but he was unsure as he considered her too traditional after watching him in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. 

Parmeet Sethi envisioned someone with a modern, bold vibe. However, after meeting Anushka, his doubts vanished. "She is God-gifted and has a very unique spontaneity to herself," he said.

Next, he juggled with casting a 'young, funny and cute' guy. He auditioned several stars, including a son of a well-known celebrity, but even that didn't work out as he wanted the lead role. 

Parmeet added that someone suggested he cast Vir Das in this role but he was skeptical as he thought he would look old based on his photos. However, after meeting him, he realized that Vir fits perfectly for the role. 

The writer further revealed an interesting thing about the film. He shared that Badmaash Company was born out of sheer frustration. What started as a vague idea quickly evolved into a complete script within just six days. The first person he approached was Aditya Chopra, who immediately showed interest and set the wheels in motion for the film the very next day.

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