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When 2 States released, it felt like a breath of fresh air — for readers who loved Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel and for moviegoers discovering the story for the first time. The on-screen pairing of Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt became an instant favourite, and the film’s soulful music struck a chord with every young couple in love. But behind the scenes, not everyone was initially convinced — including the author himself.
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, 2 States author Chetan Bhagat admitted that he was disappointed when newcomers were cast in the lead roles, especially after hearing that top stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were being considered.
“For 2 States, bigger stars were being talked about. Shah Rukh Khan was being considered. There was also a time when Vishal Bhardwaj was going to make it. Then names like Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were discussed. I think there were several articles and speculations around the casting,” Bhagat recalled.
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He added, “But when they finally said the director was new and the lead actor was Arjun Kapoor, who was just one movie old (Ishaqzaade), along with Alia Bhatt, who had only done Student of the Year, I wasn’t convinced. This wasn’t what was originally discussed. But it turned out to be amazing casting — their freshness and youth made the film what it was.”
Chetan Bhagat also opened up about facing similar doubts during the making of Kai Po Che!, another successful adaptation of his book The 3 Mistakes of My Life.
“For Kai Po Che! too, we had brand-new actors. We tried everybody, and they all said no. All the stars rejected it, so we had to cast Sushant Singh Rajput, who was a TV actor back then, along with Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh, who weren’t known names. I had very little hope from the movie — but it became one of the best adaptations. And now, all three are established stars,” he said.
