Prakash Jha’s ‘Aakarshan’ to star Big B, Saif and Deepika

Prakash Jha’s next film Aarakshan has been going through a cast shuffle since the time it had been announced. Originally, the film was to star Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, Ajay Devgn, Prateik Babbar and Deepika Padukone, but now Ajay Devgn has said no to the project and his role has been replaced by Saif Ali Khan.
Confirming this, Amitabh Bachchan posted on his blog saying, “Preparations for ‘Aarakshan’ with Prakash Jha are on in swing and another meet today was done to finalize aspects of the oncoming shoot. Saif Ali now replaces Ajay and soon we shall be making a final announcement of this.”
Deepika Padukone has been finalized to play the role of Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter. Two other leading actresses were being considered for the part. And initially, Jha even thought of casting a newcomer. However, Deepika’s height and demeanour worked in her favor.
Prakash reveals how he chose Deepika for the role and says, “I began to flesh out the part, make it more dramatic. That’s when I thought of Deepika in the role of Bachchan Saab’s daughter. They’re both tall and look quite like father and daughter.”
The film deals with the issue of reservation and its impact on the society. It will be shot in Bhopal next year.