PK is Anushka Sharma’s third film with Rajkumar Hirani

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The connection between Anushka Sharma & Rajkumar Hirani goes a long way back and reaches its finale with Anushka being part of PK. With almost three hit and miss cases, Anushka finally got casted opposite Aamir Khan in PK. It was during the trail screening of another amazing film – ‘Rockstar’, that Anushka met Rajkumar Hirani while walking out post the screening. Overwhelmed with the film that hit her for some good reasons, was totally zoned out while talking to Mr. Hirani. She believed they were having small talks like the way film fraternity usually have post the screening of films. While Mr. Hirani who had loved the versatile actress in ‘Band, Bajaa, Baraat’ kept talking about PK to her, Anushka couldn’t stop herself from praising ‘Rockstar’. This made Mr. Hirani think that Anushka doesn’t want to work with him and that’s the reason she is dodging the topic of conversation, post which both left to their respective houses. Next day morning, while recollecting the events of the previous night, Anushka remembered few words from her chat with Rajkumar Hirani. The words were – Next Film, Casting, Call you, End of scripting stage. Joining the dots and not believing that she was just offered a film by ace director – Rajkumar Hirani, she called up Mr. Hirani and tried to confirm if she has understood it right and if otherwise then asked to ignore the call. On Mr. Hirani confirming that yes he was talking to her about casting her in his next film – PK, Anushka heaved a sigh of relief and overjoyed with the offer, agreed to meet whenever he was ready to. Though Anushka did make it to be the lead actress of PK, this was not the first time. She had also auditioned for 3 Idiots which Rajkumar Hirani doesn’t remember at all. ( Link of Audition below). After giving a splendid performance for a shot in PK, Mr.Hirani turned back to one his assistant to express that he is glad that Anushka is part of the film. This is when the assistant told him that she had even auditioned for ‘3 Idiots’ but never got shortlisted for it and even showed the audition tape to Mr. Hirani who was in complete denial about Anushka’s audition. ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘PK’ are not the only two films of Rajkumar Hirani that Anushka was part of in one or the other way. In fact, the connection started with the much acclaimed franchise film – ‘Lage raho Munnabhai’. Anushka was into modelling at that time and had shot for one of the technology brands integrated in the film through the process of in-film branding. In one of the shot when Sanjay Dutt in waiting for Vidya Balan outside her radio station, there are huge posters of the brand placed alongside where Anushka is clearly seen in close ups. Noticed by her friends, she went for the film in theaters not once but twice just to see herself in Rajkumar Hirani film even though in the smallest way not knowing that destiny already had a full fledged role written for her in PK which she completely did justice to.

Audtion of Anushka Sharma for 3 Idiots:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ak-uG39vL0

Source:  Rajkumar Hirani and Anushka Sharma Exclusive Interview with Zoom