Chetan Bhagat, the author of the novel "2 States," recently revealed that Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were the original choices for the lead roles in the film adaptation, before Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were cast. In an interview, Bhagat discussed the initial plans for the movie and how the casting choices evolved.

Bhagat disclosed that filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj was initially slated to direct "2 States," and several prominent Bollywood actors were considered for the main roles. He stated that Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Priyanka Chopra's names were circulating at one point.

Bhagat admitted that he initially had reservations about casting Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who were relatively new to the industry at the time. Arjun Kapoor had only one movie under his belt, and Alia Bhatt had appeared in "Student of the Year". Bhagat confessed that this was not what he had initially envisioned.

Despite his initial doubts, Bhagat acknowledged that the final casting turned out to be excellent. He noted that Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt brought a sense of freshness and youthfulness to the film. He speculated that older actors might have also done a great job but was surprised by how well the younger pairing worked.

Bhagat also shared a story about his other book adaptation, "Kai Po Che!," revealing that every actor initially turned down the project. Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, and Amit Sadh eventually took on the roles and made the film iconic. Bhagat considers "Kai Po Che!" to be the best adaptation of his books.

Bhagat expressed his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan's humility and kind gesture. He was impressed by Khan's down-to-earth nature.