Sushant Singh Rajput was first choice for Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui? Director clears the air
Director Abhishek Kapoor is currently receiving praise for his directorial Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. It released on OTT after a successful theatrical run recently and became the most streamed content within 24 hours of its digital premiere. The movie touches upon the subject of transgender inclusivity through the character played by Vaani Kapoor.
Earlier, there were speculations floating around that Abhishek was considering late Sushant Singh Rajput for the leading role, which finally landed with Ayushmann Khurrana. Commenting on the same, the Rock On director, said that he had finished writing the script of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui after the demise of Sushant and so there was no truth in the rumours that Ayushmann was not the first choice for the film.
Abhishek told Bollywood Bubble, "I have heard this rumour as well. But this is a guy from Punjab. The casting of the film began after his passing away. I had not even finished the script, normally I don't cast in a film until it is written."
Sushant made his Bollywood debut with Abhishek's Kai Po Che (2013), which is based on the Chetan Bhagat novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life. It successfully launched the late star into the movie business after a successful career in fiction and reality TV. They later collaborated on Kedarnath (2018), which was also a box office success and remains one of the most loved films of Sushant's career.
Abhishek also shared that the film industry and fans started appreciating Sushant and his films only after his death in June 2020. "Maybe the media didn’t acknowledge him for his work. Like in Kedarnath and how there is something in that film and there is love, truth in it. But it was not acknowledged until he passed away, which suddenly jolted people out of their slumber. He was a special man, it’s a big loss that he is not around here,” Abhishek said about the late actor.
