Did you know Fawad Khan was approached first to play Saif's role in 2018's 'Kaalakaandi'?

The Saif Ali Khan starrer Kaalakaandi is a black comedy film which released back in 2018 and was both written and directed by the Delhi Belly writer Akshat Verma. Although Saif's performance as a dope-head Rileen in the film was appreciated by many, did you know the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actor Fawad Khan was approached to play Saif's role in the film earlier? However, in an interview with PTI, filmmaker Akshat Verma revealed that the Sacred Games actor was his first choice to play Rileen. 

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Fawad was approached to play Rileen in 'Kaalakaandi' when it was with UTV

Ahead of the dark comedy film's release on January 12, 2018, director Akshat Verma spilled the beans about the delays and halts the film had to go through before finally reaching fruition. For the unversed, the film was to be bankrolled by UTV Motion Pictures and its shoot was scheduled to go on floors in 2013. Back then, when the film was with UTV, the lead role of Rileen in the black comedy was to be played by Fawad Khan, revealed Akshat to PTI.

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Shedding some more light about the same, he stated "Fawad was supposed to be one of the actors we talked to when the project was with UTV. It was around 2013. He was going to play the role Saif plays. But ultimately everything happens for a reason and for the best. No one could have done the role better than Saif". However, the Delhi Belly fame revealed that his "instinct for Saif was right" as he had the 50-year-old in his mind when he was writing the character of Rileen.

Spilling the beans about getting Saif on board, Akshat said, "When I first messaged Saif, I didn't get a reply from him. When I finally met him, it was almost two years to the date I had texted him". He added, "This time, he had read the script because Ashi (producer) had sent it to him. He said 'ok we are on' in five minutes. So the time period was, on one hand, two years and on the other, just five minutes to get Saif". 

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Meanwhile, alongside Saif Ali Khan, the Kaalakaandi cast boasted of Akshay Oberoi, Deepak Dobriyal, Isha Talwar and Sobhita Dhulipala in the lead roles. The film was bankrolled by Rohit Khattar and Ashi Dua Sara after its production was shut down under UTV. On the other hand, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil marked the last film of Fawad Khan in Bollywood. 

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