Author Chetan Bhagat has opened up about the original casting plans for ‘2 States’, revealing that Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were initially considered to headline the romantic drama before Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt eventually took on the lead roles.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, the best-selling author recalled how multiple big names were once attached to the project when filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj was set to direct the adaptation of his novel. Bhagat said, “There was a time Vishal Bharadwaj was going to make it. There was a time when Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Priyanka Chopra’s names were talked about. I think ‘2 States’ sabhi ke naam ka article to aaya hi tha (I think articles mentioning names of most of the actors did come out).”

The writer admitted that he was initially uncertain about the final casting when he learned that two relatively new actors would lead the film. “To be honest, when they said, there is a new director and it's Arjun Kapoor who had one movie and Alia Bhatt who had one movie, ‘Student Of The Year’. I was like ‘okay’, but this is not what was discussed,” he said.

Bhagat, however, later appreciated how the young pairing brought freshness and authenticity to the film. “It was such a nice casting, and it made the movie fresh because they were young. If it were older actors, I don't know, maybe they would have done a great job. But it was very surprising,” he added.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s early involvement

According to Bhagat, ‘2 States’ had gone through several iterations before it reached the screen under Abhishek Varman’s direction. At one stage, Vishal Bhardwaj was keen on adapting the novel, with top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra in talks. The project later took a new direction, with Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala collaborating on the film featuring Arjun and Alia.

About 2 States

Released in 2014, ‘2 States’ told the story of two lovers from different cultural backgrounds – Krish from Punjab and Ananya from Tamil Nadu – navigating family resistance to their marriage. The film also starred Ronit Roy, Amrita Singh and Revathy, and was praised for its youthful charm and relatable storytelling. It performed strongly at the box office and received appreciation from several celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhudheva, Riteish Deshmukh and Sonakshi Sinha.

Arjun Kapoor, who rose to fame after ‘2 States’, was last seen in ‘Mere Husband Ki Biwi’, which failed to make an impact at the box office. Before that, he appeared as the antagonist in ‘Singham Again’. Alia Bhatt, meanwhile, was last seen in ‘Jigra’, released in October, which underperformed commercially. The actress is currently filming ‘Alpha’, her next major project.