- Niki Walia was initially cast as Neelam in Dil Dhadakne Do but was replaced by Shefali Shah
- Zoya Akhtar flew Niki from the UK and completed scene readings before recasting her
- Niki's cruise dates were fixed and passport taken, but she was dropped the day before leaving
Niki Walia was supposed to play a role in Zoya Akhtar's 2015 film Dil Dhadakne Do, but she was replaced by Shefali Shah. During an interview, Niki shared that she was initially chosen to play the role of Neelam, the wife of Anil Kapoor's character in the film, but due to sudden casting changes, she lost the part.
In a chat with Buzzzooka Prime, Niki recalled the incident and shared that she had gone quite far in the casting process. “Woh yaha tak aakar, wapas le liya gaya mujhse. Unke apne reasons honge. But meri cruise ki dates sab fixed thi. Sab kuch ho gaya tha. Zoya Akhtar ne mujhe UK se khaas fly karke bulaya tha. (After coming this far, it was taken away from me. They must have had their own reasons. But all my cruise dates were fixed. Everything was done. Zoya Akhtar had specifically flown me in from the UK)," Niki revealed.
Sharing the process, Niki added, “We did the scene readings, everything. They were okay with it. They even took my passport. The dates were booked too. And I was returning home after meeting them in India to prepare my family for the fact that I would be on a cruise for two to three months.”
However, just before she was about to leave, Niki received a call from Zoya. Recalling the moment, she said, “So, the day before I was leaving, Zoya called me and said, ‘Niki, I am really sorry, but because of an internal decision, we are not going ahead with you.' I always have this thought that I wish I had gotten that role. But it's okay. What doesn't happen, doesn't happen. What is meant to be is what is meant to be.”
Although Niki was disappointed she did not hold the decision against Zoya or her team. Speaking about their decision to replace her with Shefali Shah, Niki shared, “I felt I was completely suited to the character, but I think they made that decision creatively because they may have felt that, between my personality and Shefali's, I perhaps came across as stronger.
“They may have felt that the wife needed to appear like someone who could appear vulnerable. Maybe because that is also Shefali ji's zone—she does sentimental roles and vulnerable characters. So it was a creative decision. Who am I to question it? But yes, I do regret the missed opportunity.”
Directed by Zoya Akhtar, Dil Dhadakne Do tells the story of the Mehras, who invite their family and friends on a 10-day cruise trip to celebrate their parents' 30th wedding anniversary. However, beneath their perfect social exterior, the couple has a loveless marriage and faces bankruptcy while their children grapple with trapped careers and unhappy relationships. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, and Farhan Akhtar in leading roles.