Toronto, ON on Tuesday, June 21, 2011
By Kanti Raaj Shah: T-Fare Online
Correspondence: gayfareonline@gmail.com Attn: Kanti
After the super success of BPP's Fashion in 2010, Ang Lee Bhansali announced his next directorial venture: DARR - A Psycho Love Story. Starring Neeraj Khan, Natasha Rai and Farhaaz Khan.
The film will be a comback vehicle for the King of Trollywood, Neeraj Khan after a 7 year hiatus. Says Neeraj, "I am delighted to be back and am humbled by the love and appreciation of my fans, after all these years. I am even more glad to be cast opposite my favorite actress, the beautiful Natasha Rai. With Bhansali ji in the director's seat, I am confident that this will be the biggest film of 2011, if not the decade."
Bhansali had always meant to cast Neeraj for SRK's role. "I started the film with Neeraj is mind. There was no doubt in my mind that Neeraj would be perfect for the role," he said. However, there was fierce competition within Trollywood for both Sunny and Juhi's roles. Bhansali maintains that "Sunny's character required a very physically fit person to defend the actress.
I really wanted Rehan but he would need a lot of time to get back into shape since he's recovering from surgery right now. Farhaaz was very impressive in his screen test and lobbied hard for this role. Hence, I decided to cast him."
As for the coveted female lead, everyone from queen bee Malini to newcomer Deepika Parajuli were vying for the role. Bhansali says "the role is central and requires a very innocent and charismatic personality. I had screen tests and several conversations with Malini but eventually decided not to cast her as I was disappointed with her recent disappearance and unprofessionalism. Deepika showed tremendous potential. She has the beauty and talent that BPP values and I have promised her that I will work with her when the right role comes up. I made the decision to cast Natasha entirely based on the screen test. The moment I saw her in a saree, I knew that I had found my Kiran for DARR. Believe me, when you see the film, you will know that no one would fit this role better than Natasha Rai. She has the grace, innocence and charisma to outdo Juhi in Kiran's role."
