Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha was one of the better-reviewed films of 2015.However, the audience didn't exactly lap up to the existential-romantic-drama and the film failed to be a money-spinner, despite stellar performances by lead actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Now, in a column for Open Magazine, published Friday, veteran film critic Rajeev Masand has spilled the beans on Tamasha's casting. The assumption was that Ali got Ranbir-Deepika on board because of their sparkling chemistry (unless you've been touring outer space, you'd know they were a real-life couple).
However, as it turns out, Padukone wasn't Ali's first choice. It was originally offered to Anushka Sharma.
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Masand reveals that Sharma turned down the role because it wasn't 'meaty' enough. While some speculated that she didn't want to work with Kapoor immediately after the debacle of Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, a source that HuffPost spoke to corroborated Masand's claim. "As badly as she wanted to work with Ali, the role didn't impress her at all. It wasn't lengthy enough as it was primarily Ranbir's film," they said, on condition of anonymity. Yes, Sharma, known for making unconventional choices did not want to star in a film that was this driven by the male lead.
Not that this decision has created any bad blood between the Highway (2014) director and her. Recent news reports suggest that the duo might team up for another film, with Shah Rukh Khan in the male lead. Sharma is also reuniting with Kapoor for Karan Johar's upcoming Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
HuffPost India sent a text message to the NH10 actress and asked her whether she feels differently about declining Tamasha now, since Padukone shone in the film, and that the movie too has managed to attain a bit of a cult status. The query is yet to be answered.
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Now, in a column for Open Magazine, published Friday, veteran film critic Rajeev Masand has spilled the beans on Tamasha's casting. The assumption was that Ali got Ranbir-Deepika on board because of their sparkling chemistry (unless you've been touring outer space, you'd know they were a real-life couple).
However, as it turns out, Padukone wasn't Ali's first choice. It was originally offered to Anushka Sharma.
Masand reveals that Sharma turned down the role because it wasn't 'meaty' enough. While some speculated that she didn't want to work with Kapoor immediately after the debacle of Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, a source that HuffPost spoke to corroborated Masand's claim. "As badly as she wanted to work with Ali, the role didn't impress her at all. It wasn't lengthy enough as it was primarily Ranbir's film," they said, on condition of anonymity. Yes, Sharma, known for making unconventional choices did not want to star in a film that was this driven by the male lead.
Not that this decision has created any bad blood between the Highway (2014) director and her. Recent news reports suggest that the duo might team up for another film, with Shah Rukh Khan in the male lead. Sharma is also reuniting with Kapoor for Karan Johar's upcoming Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
HuffPost India sent a text message to the NH10 actress and asked her whether she feels differently about declining Tamasha now, since Padukone shone in the film, and that the movie too has managed to attain a bit of a cult status. The query is yet to be answered.
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