Kanika Dhillon’s Manmarziyaan featured Taapsee Pannu, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles. However, these actors were not the first choice for the film. Initially, a different set of actors had been cast, but they left the project midway due to discomfort with their characters. Eventually, when the film was released, it received widespread acclaim and love from audiences.
Opening up about the challenges she faced in bringing Manmarziyaan to life, Kanika Dhillon shared the difficulties of getting the film made. “To find a voice in the industry is the first big step that you have to take as a writer. I was working on Manmarziyaan when I wasn’t that strong. It took me 4-5 years to get the film greenlit, write it, re-write it, groom it and find people to make it. It was my biggest challenge so far,” she said in an interview.
She further elaborated on the intricacies of crafting love stories, noting that they can become repetitive if not updated with fresh perspectives. “Love stories can get redundant, you have to keep updating your characters. While I was waiting for someone to hear and make the story, one would keep at it and working on it. I also had a toddler, I was a working mom, so that also added to the challenges. I was struggling to find a voice, so Manmarziyaan remains the most challenging film for me,” Dhillon shared.
The writer-producer explained that the film took nearly four years to complete due to extensive rewrites and casting challenges. “Manmarziyaan started and it stopped in between, and then it restarted with a different set of actors. A lot of people were hesitant to play these roles because they felt uncomfortable that the audience won’t accept it.”
Elaborating on the casting struggles, she added, “It seemed very risky to them to have the husband supporting Rumi and then the boyfriend being commitment-phobic, every character while I was going out to cast, I was met with certain insecurities.” Despite these challenges, she ultimately felt that fate played a role in the final casting decisions. “Eventually, these actors who played it were the best. It was more of something like destiny choosing them,” Dhillon concluded.
Did you like the movie?
