Dream Girl 2 became a major box office success in 2023, raking in nearly ₹140 crore worldwide and earning a spot among the top-grossing Hindi films of the year. Yet, one notable absence stirred conversation—Nushrratt Bharuccha, who had starred alongside Ayushmann Khurrana in the 2019 original, did not return for the sequel. Instead, Ananya Panday took on the female lead role, a creative shift that clearly left Nushrratt disheartened.
Preparing for the release of Chhorii 2, the actress addressed the decision during an interview. “It hurt me even more when I was not part of my own sequel,” she admitted. “When every other actor was the same except the girl, I felt that was… not cool naa, guys? Just not cool. But, theek hai, no problem.”
Following her statement, director Raaj Shaandilyaa offered his perspective in an interview. He emphasized that Dream Girl 2 wasn’t conceived as a direct sequel but as part of a broader franchise. “If it were a proper sequel, I would’ve cast Nushrratt,” he clarified. “But since this was more of a franchise film, we decided to bring in a new female lead.”
Raaj elaborated further, explaining that the romantic storyline between Ayushmann and Nushrratt’s characters had reached its logical conclusion in the first film. The second installment retained familiar faces like Annu Kapoor, Manjot Singh, and Vijay Raaz but introduced a new storyline, one that required a different romantic pairing.
In response to Nushrratt’s disappointment, Raaj expressed empathy and reiterated their personal rapport. “She is a dear friend. I had already explained this to her. There’s no reason to feel bad. If we go on to make a third film, even Ananya won’t return—we’ll have a new female lead again.”
While the decision may have sparked mixed emotions, it also points to a flexible narrative model for the Dream Girl universe—one where change is part of the design.
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