Sultan’s leading lady confirmed...and it’s Anushka!
The two actors have already done a photo shoot.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2016-01-09 17:56 GMT
The casting of Sultan’s leading lady became one of the most talked about stories in B-town in 2015. When the film went on the floors without its heroine in place, the buzz grew even stronger. But the speculation around who would feature opposite Salman Khan in the wrestler flick is finally at end, as Anushka Sharma has been unveiled as his co-star. Anushka — a YRF find — has been roped in for her first film with Salman, and the two actors have already done a photo shoot.
Incidentally, it was first heard in September 2015 that Anushka would be part of Sultan. She was in London, shooting for Karan Johar’s next, when the story broke out. When Anushka read the reports, she said on her social media accounts: “Here I am busy shooting and I read that my next film is Sultan. News to me guys, sorry to disappoint. I am always supposedly doing more films than the ones I am actually committed to doing.” So what was the truth?
A source from YRF told us, “So Anushka was discussed internally as the first choice for Sultan. Adi (YRF honcho Aditya Chopra) and Abbas Ali (the director) spoke at length about the possibility of pairing her with Salman. However, Adi was also keen on having a new girl on board. He rang his casting director Shanoo Sharma and gave her a brief. Shanoo auditioned more than 30 girls but none fit the bill that Adi and Abbas had. In fact, the same had happened during Dhoom 3: Adi was keen to cast a new girl opposite Aamir but none had the requisite spark, so Katrina was finalised. Salman was also clear that he wants a star in the film.”
Reportedly, Anushka wanted to start work on her home production with Navdeep Singh (which also features Ayushman Khurana) after wrapping up KJo’s film. But it now seems like that project will be pushed ahead to accommodate the dates for Sultan.
“With no heroine, Abbas was ready to tear out his hair!” our source said. “A last-minute call was made to Anushka to discuss the role. It was the quickest decision Anushka has ever taken and immediately, a photo shoot was organised for her and Salman.”
Anushka will soon start shooting for the film, but she also needs to undergo extensive training for the role.
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