Anupriya Goenka, known for her roles in Tiger Zinda Hai, Padmaavat, and War, has also made a strong mark in the OTT space with projects like Sacred Games, Abhay and Criminal Justice. However, one major project she narrowly missed out on was Salman Khan’s Sultan.
Despite giving more than ten auditions, she ultimately lost the role to Anushka Sharma. In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, she shared her experience of the audition process and how she doesn’t fit the conventional Yash Raj Films (YRF) heroine stereotype.
Reflecting on the experience, Anupriya revealed, “Maine Sultan ke liye audition kiya tha, main part. Tab voh log naye logo ko dhoond rahe the. Mere kuch 11-12 test hue the… pehle ek audition hua tha, phir doosra audition hua, phir there was a music video test, phir there was a dance test with Vaibhavi (Merchant), and then there were readings with Ali (Abbas Zafar).” She described the month-long process as a beautiful journey but admitted that if it had lasted any longer, it would have been anxiety-inducing.
The actress further explained how she wasn’t initially aware that she was auditioning for Sultan, as YRF does not provide actual scripts during the audition phase. “Jab tak main Ali se nahi mili, mujhe pata bhi nahi tha ki Sultan ki baat ho rahi hai because YRF main they don’t give you the actual script. They give you some other script and they make you audition on that… It was only when I met Ali and he kept referring to ‘Mr Khan’, then I realised ki this is for Sultan and the main part.”
Missing out on the role was heartbreaking for her, but she also acknowledged that she didn’t fit the industry’s conventional beauty standards. “Ek toh I’m dusky, which I’m very proud of. I love being dusky. But I’m not a typical YRF heroine, right? I do not have the most shapely legs…,” she added.
While Sultan went on to become a blockbuster, with Anushka Sharma receiving praise for her role as a wrestler, Anupriya’s journey through the audition process remains an important chapter in her career.
