Did you know Alia Bhatt was not the first choice for Dear Zindagi?

Alia Bhatt, in the truest sense of the word, is a superstar of Hindi cinema. Her films like Raazi, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, Darlings, and more have cemented her position in the industry. Among these, one of her noteworthy performances was in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi—a film where she shared screen space with none other than Shah Rukh Khan.

However, not many are aware that Alia was not Gauri’s first choice for the role. Gauri, who was making her comeback after the success of English Vinglish with Sridevi, had someone else in mind for Dear Zindagi.

In an interview with CNN-IBN, when Alia was asked if she knew she wasn’t the first choice for the film, she confirmed the buzz. During the interview, it was shared that it was Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar, who were also producers of the film, who convinced Gauri to consider Alia, as they felt she wouldn’t look too young for the role.

Responding to this, Alia said, “I know that there was someone else on board earlier. And then there was a conversation about the film maybe coming to me. That’s all I know. And the next thing I know, Gauri came to me, and we were on board. Now, I don’t know whether she got convinced… Maybe because I was also young, but it’s okay because sometimes your director has to see things a little differently.”

It is rumored that Katrina Kaif was originally locked for the film, but ultimately she was replaced by Alia. The film achieved moderate success at the box office, earning Rs 68.45 crore in India.

Dear Zindagi also featured Aditya Roy Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, and Ali Zafar in cameo appearances.