Filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey, who directed Udta Punjab in 2016, revealed that Kareena Kapoor Khan initially hesitated to come on board for Udta Punjab, telling him she felt Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt had
the bigger roles — but that he ultimately persuaded her to sign up. The film highlighted drug abuse and was a critical and commercial success.
Abhishek Chaubey reflected on the casting process for the 2016 film about Punjab’s drug crisis. He said that Shahid Kapoor was the first actor to agree to the project and that Alia Bhatt was keen to be part of it. When he met Kareena Kapoor, she listened to the script and reacted positively, but noted that the parts played by Shahid and Alia carried more weight. Her role was directly linked to Diljit Dosanjh, who played a pivotal part in the film.
About Kareena coming on board for Udta Punjab, Chaubey told Friday Talkies, “After Alia, I met Kareena. She heard the script. She was very happy. But she also said Shahid and Alia have bigger roles. I convinced her a lot, and she very sweetly came on board.”
The director’s comments shed light on how Chaubey assembled the film’s ensemble. Udta Punjab went on to be regarded as a career-defining outing for several cast members, particularly Shahid and Alia, whose performances received strong critical attention at the time of release.
Udta Punjab was backed by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Sameer Nair, and Aman Gill under Balaji Motion Pictures, in collaboration with Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Phantom Films. The film completed 9 years this year, and was celebrated by its eminent cast and crew.
Udta Punjab 2 on the cards?
Back in March, a Peeping Moon report suggested that Ekta Kapoor is actively developing a sequel to Udta Punjab and hopes to bring Shahid Kapoor back in the lead role. According to the report, filmmaker Aakash Kaushik has been tapped to write and direct the project. An industry insider revealed that the sequel is still in the scripting stage, with production expected to roll out next year. The source added that while casting will be finalised once the script is locked, Ekta has already had initial discussions with Shahid, though formal talks are yet to happen.
The cast and the makers of Udta Punjab are yet to confirm the development.
