Kunal Kemmu on Casting Preity Zinta in ‘VIBE’: ‘I Had Never Seen Her Do Action’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Kunal Kemmu wanted to cast Preity Zinta in “VIBE” because he saw an opportunity to present the actor in a way audiences had not seen before. Zinta, who also made her comeback to films with “Batwara 1947,” featuring Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi, was in talks for Kemmu’s film around the same time. The filmmaker-actor says he wasn't aware of the project when he cast her. “I wasn't aware of ‘Batwara 1947’ happening then. Not that it would have changed anything. She really fit the part,” Kemmu tells Variety India.

For Kemmu, the decision was also driven by his interest in casting actors in roles that audiences may not expect from them. He points to Sparsh Shrivastava, who plays Bugs, as another example. After seeing Shrivastava in “Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega” and “Laapataa Ladies”, Kemmu wanted to place him in a corporate setup that was different from his previous roles. 

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With Zinta, Kemmu saw an even bigger opportunity to challenge audience expectations. He says he wanted to move beyond the image audiences have traditionally associated with her. The “Madgaon Express” director explains, “I had never seen her do action. We have always seen her as a beautiful girl next door. She has often played the typical bubbly girl. And while I loved that, I thought it would be interesting to see her in a badass avatar. I wanted her to do action. That was my motivation and pitch to her.”

Rather than trying to convince Zinta through a specific sales pitch, Kemmu says he relied on the script and his vision for the character. He made it clear that the role in the script would remain unchanged. “I am somebody who will let the script do the talking. I told her my script and my intentions with the character won’t change. She understood that,” he shares.

Kemmu also believes Zinta’s familiarity with his work helped build that confidence. She had watched “Madgaon Express,” his directorial debut, and was aware of his body of work as a writer-director. The film, which releases on September 18, features Kemmu, Zinta, Shrivastava and debutante Vanshika Dhir.