Alia's dedication in SOTY led Abhishek Varman to cast her in '2 States'

2 States, a screen adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s novel by the same name, revolves around the complications in a North-meets-South love story. Here’s more about the film…
Abhishek Varman, son of veteran art director R Varman, assisted Ashutosh Gowariker on Jodhaa Akbar. After assisting Karan Johar on My Name Is Khan and Student Of The Year (SOTY), he is now ready for the release of his directorial debut, 2 States.Here are excerpts from a conversation with him…
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What’s it that prompted you to write a script on the novel? The book has a very interesting premise; it has great potential to translate into a good film. It explores different cultures and traditions and reveals how love-arranged marriages work in our country.
What made you choose Arjun Kapoor to play Krish Malhotra? Krish is a boy next door and it was challenging to cast an actor who had not essayed a role like that before. Arjun has mostly played rugged characters in his previous films.
What makes Alia Bhatt perfect for Ananya Swaminathan? Alia’s dedication to her craft was evident in SOTY. So, I was sure she would work even more hard to get into the character of a Tamil Brahmin. She brought freshness to the role and made it believable.
How did you finalise actors to play Krish and Ananya’s parents? Those four characters are the soul and strength of the film. Karan rightly felt that Amrita Singh would be perfect for the role of a Punjabi matriarch, who is obsessively protective of her son. I have always admired Revathi’s work and was hoping she would play the part of an elegant and dignified Radha Swaminathan. Nandini Shrikent, our casting director, suggested Shiv Subrahmanyam, who added a lot of nuances to his character — that of a stoic and righteous Tamil Brahmin. However, choosing Krish’s father was the trickiest part. Despite limited screen time, his presence had to be felt throughout the film. In SOTY, I had worked with Ronit Roy and there was no doubt that he was the right choice for the role.
Listen to the songs of '2 States' here
Your debut is being produced by Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. How are they as producers? They never imposed their ideas and always supported my vision of the film. As a first-time director, I couldn’t have asked for better producers.
Arjun on Abhishek Abhishek has tremendous understanding of his craft and implicit faith in his team. He’s calm and patient, not just with his actors, but also his crew. I’ve never heard him shout at anyone. He has a very keen eye for detail. For example, Iski Uski is a Punjabi number and when you’re dancing, you tend to forget minute nuances of the character. Once, while dancing, I stuck my tongue out. He then made me repeat the shot saying it was out of character.
Alia on Abhishek Having assisted Karan and Ashutosh, Abhishek’s sense of aesthetics is very good. I didn’t know he is so patient. Also, he’s very sure of what he wants. However, what I love most about Abhi is that he lets everyone work at their pace.
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Behind The Scenes On Day 1 of the shoot, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra — Alia Bhatt’s co-stars in her debut movie SOTY — dropped in to wish her.
The shoot started with the wedding song, Iski Uski. Producer Karan had also invited Arjun’s father, producer Boney Kapoor, to the set. With reel and real family members around, filming turned out to be a family affair.
Revathi used to help Alia with the language — diction and pronunciations — and mannerisms during the shoot.
Since the book is set in IIM Ahmedabad, the makers wanted to shoot there. “We submitted the script and accommodated their suggestions before permission came through,” says a source. Even then, it was allowed only during the vacations.
According to the script, the couple’s parents meet each other for the first time during their convocation at IIM Ahmedabad. Coincidentally, that also marked the first meeting of the actors — Amrita Singh, Revathi and Shiv — during the shoot.
Alia’s character required different looks; her campus look is different from the one she sports when she starts working in Chennai. Arjun also adopted a new look for the film. Be it his glasses, the fabric, colour or style of their outfits, every aspect was looked into thoroughly.
Abhishek is a cleanliness freak and doesn’t like playing Holi. But when Arjun and Alia shot the festival scene, they doused the director in colours.
Karan Johar I loved the book by Chetan Bhagat; it connects with the country’s emotional core. Abhishek has been honest to the book and earnest in his cinematic portrayal. It’s a film I’m proud of, as every member of the audience will find a part of their life in it. Box office definitely validates a film’s success, but my instinct tells me that this film will go beyond its numbers.
Sajid Nadiadwala This is the first time I’m making a movie based on a book, and also producing in association with another banner. Karan is a great producer and Abhishek, a talented director who has beautifully translated the story on screen. Arjun and Alia have also played their parts brilliantly. The buzz about our film has certainly boosted our confidence.
WATCH: The trailer of '2 States'