Last Updated:
Imtiaz Ali revealed Kareena Kapoor was always his first choice for Geet in Jab We Met. For Highway, he initially wanted a mature actor but cast 18-year-old Alia Bhatt after meeting her.
Highway released in 2014.
Imtiaz Ali recently opened up about his casting choices for his iconic characters. He revealed that Kareena Kapoor was always his first choice for Geet in Jab We Met. However, for Highway, he initially wanted a more mature actor but ended up casting 18-year-old Alia Bhatt after meeting her.
On the Game Changer YouTube channel, Imtiaz Ali shared that when writing, he always has a clear picture of the character in mind. He said he saw Geet’s personality and speech in Kareena Kapoor. Imtiaz mentioned, “When I am writing, there is a figure in my mind. When you meet people, they match the spirit of the character. I always wanted Kareena for Jab We Met. Initially, this wasn’t happening, but then she came in to do the film. She was my first choice to play Geet.”
Imtiaz Ali talked about how casting decisions can sometimes surprise him. When he was writing Highway, he thought of casting an older actor. But after meeting 18-year-old Alia Bhatt, he knew she was perfect for the role. He said, “There is no arithmetic in our work; it’s an instinctive process. I thought I would cast a 30-year-old, mature actor for Highway—someone who had seen the world and would rebel. But when I met Alia, I thought, ‘This is the girl.’ Alia was just 18 at that time, but she had the emotional depth the character needed. She hadn’t done much work then, and I hadn’t even seen her film Student of the Year, but the way she spoke—it was very charming. She had a quality about her that was fantastic for this part.”
Mahesh Bhatt also helped convince her to take the role in Highway. Imtiaz shared, “I used to go to her house, and Bhatt sahab was trying to convince her to do it. She was a bit scared because every scene had her in it. She doubted whether she would be able to do it since it wasn’t an easy film to take on.”