According to a shocking disclosure made by well-known novelist Chetan Bhagat, Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were first selected to play the major characters in the 2014 romance drama 2 States. The movie, which eventually starred Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt and was one of the biggest hits of that year, was based on his best-selling book 2 States: The Story of My Marriage.
The Casting That Almost Happened
During his interview, Bhagat mentioned that A-list names were one of the several discussions first raised during the movie planning. Vishal Bhardwaj was at one point going to be the one to direct it. Also, discussion was going on about Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Priyanka Chopra being in the film, Bhagat elaborated. He also commented about Shah Rukh Khan’s modesty, recognizing that the superstar’s name was frequently associated with various major projects, but he never discussed them publicly.
There was a time when it looked almost sure that Shah Rukh and Priyanka would portray Krish and Ananya, two lovers from different cultures trying to persuade their families to accept their marriage. But with every change of script the project underwent and the emergence of new creative directions, the casting took a different turn.
Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s casting
The decision of producer Karan Johar and director Abhishek Varman prompted the makers to select a younger cast. Bhagat confessed, “To be honest, I was a bit doubtful when they announced that the stars would be Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who had only done one film each. But casting proved to be so awesome. They made the film shine with their fresh perspective.”
The film’s theme of youth, energy, and storytelling that everybody could relate to were the factors that captured the audience. The film 2 States, which was released in 2014, became a box-office hit, and it was praised for its art of intercultural romance, family dynamics, and lighthearted humor.
What If SRK and Priyanka Had Starred?
The idea of Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra topping the list of actors in 2 States still attracts fans’ curiosity today. Probably, the film would have adopted a more adult-like approach with their presence. Nonetheless, Bhagat argues that the casting of younger actors was a beneficial artistic decision that certainly enriched the story. He remarked, “If it were older actors, they might have done a great job, but the film worked because it felt young and real.”
A Story That Connected Across Cultures
2 States still stands today as one of the finest book-to-film adaptations made in Bollywood. It artistically displayed the cultural conflicts and emotional intricacies of an Indian interstate marriage, taking inspiration from the author’s own love life, and the storyline is still to date very inspiring for new upcoming movie plots.
Although followers would eternally be curious to see the SRK-Priyanka version, Bhagat’s revelation, on the one hand, tells us that very often the most unanticipated casting selections result in the truest cinematic experiences.
