Mar 05, 2026 10:30am IST
Ranbir Kapoor–Priyanka Chopra, Imran Khan–Vidya Balan Nearly Starred in ‘Hasee Toh Phasee,’ Says Vinil Mathew (EXCLUSIVE)
The 2014 film “Hasee Toh Phasee”, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra in the lead, is finally heading for a re-release on the big screen this week. Over the years, the film has built a loyal fanbase, something that continues to surprise director Vinil Mathew. But that is not the only revelation.
In an exclusive chat with Variety India, Mathew shared that several prominent actors, including Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Imran Khan and Vidya Balan, were approached before the team eventually zeroed in on Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra.
Clarifying that all the actors he approached were gracious, Mathew confirmed that the script went through several hands before landing on its final cast. He said, “But let me just say that we went from, I think in between, we had started with Ranbir and Priyanka. I also went to Imran and Vidya. And then finally Parineeti and Siddharth. So basically everybody.”
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He added, “These are just the main names in between. But pretty much every actor, like Ranbir, Shahid, Ranveer, Ayushmann, Emraan Hashmi every single actor you can think of, has gone to. And for some reason or other, it did not quite work out. Eventually it was Siddharth and Parineeti. Every film has its destiny. I guess when it is meant to happen, it happens. Otherwise, we keep trying. That is all.”
Speaking about the film’s re-release, Mathew admitted that the team had initially expected a more immediate response upon its original theatrical run.
“When we made the film, we thought we would get the response immediately. Because while we were making “Hasee Toh Phasee”, we knew that within the genre, we were trying to change a lot of things, approach it a little differently and create different kinds of characters. There was a bit of genre bending we were attempting. We thought we might get that attention as soon as the film released, but perhaps it did not happen. In fact, we were hoping for it, but it did not happen at that time,” he said.
Reflecting on its slow burn success, he recalled advice from Karan Johar. “When it was released, we were thrilled with what we had made and were hoping we would get that love immediately. I remember Karan telling me after the release that each film has its own life. It grows, and after the release, the film takes its own course. At that time, it did not make much sense. But over the last decade or so, the film has grown tremendously. People are watching it on other platforms, on flights, and then they have all come back and praised it.”
“Hasee Toh Phasee” re-releases in theatres at PVR INOX on March 6, 2026.
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