Salman Khan wanted to cast Katrina Kaif in Wanted; Boney Kapoor reveals how Ayesha Takia was cast: "We toyed with several names"

In a conversation with Rediff, Boney shared that after watching the Telugu blockbuster Pokiri, starring Mahesh Babu, he decided to remake the film in Hindi with Salman Khan in the lead role.

Producer Boney Kapoor recently opened up about the casting of Salman Khan starrer Wanted, revealing that actress Ayesha Takia, who eventually played the female lead, was almost not selected for the film.

In a conversation with Rediff, Boney shared that after watching the Telugu blockbuster Pokiri, starring Mahesh Babu, he decided to remake the film in Hindi with Salman Khan in the lead role.

Recalling the early stages, he said, "I wanted him to see the film and had arranged two preview shows, but because of his hectic schedule, Salman couldn’t make it. I was worried that the Tamil remake would release, and if it was as big a hit as the original, another Bollywood actor or producer would evince an interest in the Hindi remake rights, and like with Ghajini, I would lose out on Pokiri too."

Eventually, Salman managed to watch the film and gave his nod to the project. Following this, choreographer-turned-director Prabhu Deva was roped in to helm the Hindi remake. While Boney was keen on casting a fresh face as the female lead, Salman suggested casting his frequent co-star and then-girlfriend Katrina Kaif in the film.

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Speaking about the decision, Boney recalled, “Salman had suggested Katrina Kaif’s name for the role of the heroine in Wanted, the Hindi remake of Pokiri. But since the character is initially ambivalent about her feelings for Radhe, I reasoned that it would be better if we cast an actress who had never been paired with him before. We toyed with several names, including Genelia D’Souza, before settling for Ayesha Takia.”

Released in 2009, Wanted turned out to be a massive success and marked a major turning point in Salman Khan’s career after a string of box-office disappointments. The film earned over Rs 60 crore net in India and went on to gross just under Rs 100 crore worldwide.