Varun Dhawan passed on Sriram Raghavan’s 2018 smash hit Andhadhun. And he wasn’t supposed to be paired with Radhika Apte or Tabu. The original pitch had Kangana Ranaut as his co-star.
The actor dropped the revelation during a recent conversation on Tanmay Bhat’s YouTube channel. He admitted the thriller was a “good film” to miss out on but explained his schedule was already locked with prior filming commitments.
Sriram Raghavan and Dhawan had just come off the major hit of their gritty 2015 thriller Badlapur, making them eager to team up again. They initially prioritized developing that film over Andhadhun, which Sriram Raghavan initially developed with Dhawan and Ranaut in mind, according to Zoom TV Entertainment. But timing is everything in Bollywood.
Because Dhawan couldn’t make the dates work, the iconic role of the blind pianist eventually went to Ayushmann Khurrana. The final film went on to gross over ₹456 crore globally and swept multiple National Awards. Naturally, fans are now dissecting the hypothetical casting online, with several fans reacting with surprise to the revelation and debating how entirely different the movie’s tonal balance would have felt with Ranaut in the mix.
Dhawan is currently promoting Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, his latest romantic comedy directed by David Dhawan that hit theaters last week on June 5.