Farah Khan reveals how she ended up casting Shreyas Talpade in 'Om Shanti Om'
Mumbai, June 29
Director and Choreographer Farah Khan revealed how she ended up casting actor Shreyas Talpade in her 2007 release 'Om Shanti Om'.
As she was hosted by Shreyas and his better half, Deepti, for her YouTube channel, Farah stated that she saw Shreyas at a gym, where both of them used to go.
Farah was heard saying in the vlog, "I want to tell you all that for 'Om Shanti Om', make one guess where I met Shreyas and cast him in the movie"
As she asked Shreyas, "Which gym was it?", he jogged Farah's memory saying, "Power Gym."
"Imagine, I used to go to the gym every day, and Shreyas also used to come there to work out," added Farah.
Taking a hilarious jibe at the choreographer and filmmaker, Shreyas added, "And I thought you used to come there for scouting."
Farah revealed that before her debut movie 'Gangster', even Kangana Ranaut also used to go to the same gym.
"One more person used to come to the Power House Gym. Kangana used to come there before Gangster," the 'Happy New Year' maker added.
Farah added that when she told her husband, Shirish Kunder, about Shreyas, he recognized him from his small role in the 2002 release, 'Aankhen'.
"He had such a small role, but he was so good in the movie", Sirish had told Farah.
Farah further shared that she was initially scared to approach Shreyas for the role as 'Iqbal' was such a huge success.
Recalling some fond memories from the shoot days, Farah added that Shreyas and Shah Rukh Khan used to improvise a lot.
Revisiting the first day from the shoot, Shreyas said that Farah was so done with their improvisation that she came and told them, "If you improvise any more, just see. Say the dialogues we have written".
— IANS
Reader Comments
I always wondered how Shreyas got that role after Iqbal. Makes sense that Farah was nervous to approach him - Iqbal was a masterpiece and he was phenomenal in it. But he totally owned that comic role too. Versatile actor! 👏
I love how Farah's husband recognized Shreyas from Aankhen. Shows how even small roles can leave a lasting impression if you're talented. These kinds of real-life casting stories make movies even more special to watch.
Honestly, Farah Khan deserves credit for trusting her instincts. She saw potential in Shreyas at a random gym and that casting paid off big time. Also, the fact that Shah Rukh and Shreyas improvised so much shows how collaborative the set was. Good old Bollywood magic! ✨
Interesting story but I wish Farah would also share how she handles criticism about some of her films. Still, love the nostalgia trip - Om Shanti Om was peak 2000s Bollywood entertainment.
Haha, the bit where Farah got annoyed with their improvisation is too relatable! Sometimes actors get too creative and directors have to step in. But that's probably why the scenes turned out so memorable. 'Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost' was pure gold!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.