'Hasee Toh Phasee' was offered to Ranbir-Priyanka, Imran-Vidya?
05 Mar 2026

Vinil Mathew, the director of the 2014 film Hasee Toh Phasee, recently revealed that Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Imran Khan, and Vidya Balan were initially considered for the lead roles.

In an interview with Variety India, he said that they had started with Kapoor and Chopra Jonas and that he had also gone to Khan and Balan.

Eventually, Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra were cast as leads.

'Every film has its destiny'
Casting process

Mathew added, "These are just the main names in between. But pretty much every actor, like...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 Sidharth and Parineeti. Every film has its destiny."

'When we made the film, we thought...'
Film's journey

The film is set to be re-released in theaters on Friday, March 6.

Mathew admitted that they had hoped for an immediate response when it first hit theaters.

He said, "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."

Mathew on Karan Johar's advice
Film's growth

Mathew recalled Karan Johar's advice about a film's journey after its release.

He said, "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."

The director added that over the last decade, Hasee Toh Phasee has grown tremendously in popularity.