In a new interview, Shashank Khaitan, who directed Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter’s debut film Dhadak, opened up about his decision to cast the star kids. Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter made debut in Bollywood with the 2018 film Dhadak amid much hype. But, the film’s makers were also trolled for casting star kids as leads in the film. Its director, Shashank Khaitan, recently shared the reason behind his decision to cast Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. He shared that he had met Ishaan earlier and found Jahnvi’s vulnerability suitable for the role. So, he was not asked by anyone to cast them.
In a candid interview with Mashable India, Shashank Khaitan clarified that, unlike the common perception, he had no external pressure to cast the young stars in Dhadak. Rather, it was entirely his own decision. He also shared the reason behind their casting and revealed he met Ishaan Khatter several times while co-judging a dance reality show with his brother, Shahid Kapoor.
He said, “I had seen his personality, acting ability, and physical strength. He was already on my mind.”
Next, he talked about Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor‘scasting and mentioned he met several actors before finalizing her for the role of Parthavi.
Khaitan said, “People think I didn’t audition others, but I met multiple people. When I met Janhvi, I saw a certain vulnerability in her. I felt I could mold her into the character I envisioned,”
He also revealed that neither Ishan nor Janhvi’s parents interfered in any aspect of the film, and irrespective of its performance, it was entirely his film.
The director of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania also discussed the film’s mixed reactions. For those unaware, Dhadak was a remake of the popular Marathi film Sairat. However, it received criticism for remaking the much-loved Marathi film, making changes to its storyline, and some trolled it for the lead pair’s performance.
Shashank reflected on the same, saying, “In the first week, we were heavily criticized for daring to adapt Sairat. It was confusing because while we were being trolled and criticized, the box office numbers told a different story.”
The filmmaker added that the film did good business as a newcomer-led film, but they paid attention to every troll, critic, and film review which wasn’t that good. So, it was challenging and confusing for the team, particularly for debutants Janhvi and Ishaan. Yet, the producer, Karan Johar, tried to cheer them and was positive throughout the phase.
Directed by Shashank Khaitan, Dhadak featured Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, Shalini Kapoor, Govind Pandey, and more. Meanwhile, the makers have already announced its sequel, Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri.
