Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's first pairing in Dharma Productions' Two States — the screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's novel of the same name — was an instant hit in 2014. The fresh pairing and the filmy love story, inspired by Bhagat's own inter-cultural marriage, struck a chord with the youth of the nation. After a decade since the film's release, author Chetan Bhagat revealed that he was not convinced about the new pairing. "Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra were considered for the film as well," revealed Bhagat.
During a conversation with Pinkvilla, Bhagat said, "For 2 States, bigger stars were being talked about. Shah Rukh Khan was being considered. There was also a time when Vishal Bhardwaj was going to make it. Then names like Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were discussed. I think there were several articles and speculations around the casting."
He added, "But when they finally said the director was new and the lead actor was Arjun Kapoor, who was just one movie old (Ishaqzaade), along with Alia Bhatt, who had only done Student of the Year, I wasn't convinced. This wasn't what was originally discussed. But it turned out to be amazing casting — their freshness and youth made the film what it was."
Bhagat also revealed new actors were roped in as many actors refused the roles.
"For Kai Po Che! too, we had brand-new actors. We tried everybody, and they all said no. All the stars rejected it, so we had to cast Sushant Singh Rajput, who was a TV actor back then, along with Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh, who weren't known names. I had very little hope from the movie — but it became one of the best adaptations. And now, all three are established stars," he said.
Kai Po Che! was inspired by Bhagat's novel The Three Mistakes Of My Life. Released in 2014, the film was directed by Abhishek Kapoor.