Mumbai, March 13: Why did Farah Khan pick Katrina Kaif over Sonam Kapoor? Well, according to insiders Akshay Kumar might just have something to do with it Being best friends with Akshay Kumar comes with a lot of benefits, and Katrina Kaif recently realised this.
When director Farah Khan wanted to cast Sonam Kapoor for her next project Tees Maar Khan opposite Kumar, the actor reportedly insisted that Khan cast the more popular and successful Kaif.
Apparently, Sonam’s father Anil Kapoor was keen that Khan cast Sonam in Tees Maar Khan (she doesn’t have many films in hand) and had spoken to Khan about it numerous times.
Buzz is that the director was also eager to have Sonam play the leading lady in her film opposite Kumar. “Farah likes to cast unlikely and never-seen-before pairs in her films – Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om and Shah Rukh with Sushmita Sen in Main Hoon Na.
Since the Akshay-Katrina pair had already done so many films, Farah wanted a new and younger girl and she thought that Sonam fit the bill,” elaborates our source.
Unfortunately for her, co-producers Sree Ashtavinayak Films and Akshay Kumar thought otherwise and were keen on casting their favourite Katrina as the lead. Reveals our source, “Tees Maar Khan has a huge budget; Akshay and Sree Ashtavinayak Films wanted Katrina because she has delivered numerous hits whereas Sonam is yet to prove herself. With so much money riding on the film, they didn’t want to take any chances.”
But, an insider insits, that Kumar had heard of Sonam’s moods and sulks and did not want to get entangled with such a girl. He did not want a fussy and unsuccessful actress opposite him.
Reportedly with the actor and Sree Ashtavinayak Films putting pressure on Khan to cast Kaif (who Akshay refers to as his ‘lady luck’), the director had no choice but to cast Kaif.
A close friend of Khan says that she was very worried about breaking this news to Sonam’s dad, with whom she is very friendly. Explains her friend, “Farah told Anil that the producers and Akshay wanted Katrina because she was more popular. Anil, who was sorely disappointed, understood her viewpoint and there was no bad blood between them.” Looks like no war here.
——–Agencies