Salman Khan wanted Katrina Kaif in Wanted, not Ayesha Takia, reveals Boney Kapoor: 'I said it would be better if…'

Prabhu Deva’s Wanted began the second innings of Salman Khan’s career that saw him dominate the box office all through the 2010s. The 2009 film helped the superstar recover from a string of unsuccessful films and transformed him into a mass action star. The film, now a cult classic, is best remembered for its action and also its unusual and fresh pairing with Ayesha Takia. But producer Boney Kapoor has now revealed that Ayesha was almost not even in the film.

Boney Kapoor on the making of Wanted

Wanted is a remake of the Telugu hit Pokiri, which starred Mahesh Babu in the lead. After watching it, Boney wanted to pick up the remake rights for Hindi with Salman in the lead. The filmmaker told Rediff, “I happened to see Puri Jagannadh’s 2006 Telugu blockbuster, Pokiri. I thought Salman would be apt for the character of Radhe, aka Rajveer Shekhavat. 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 watched the film and gave it his approval. Prabhu Deva was brought on board to direct the film. And even as Boney wanted a fresh heroine, Salman wanted his frequent co-star and then girlfriend, Katrina Kaif, to star in the film. 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.”

About Wanted

Wanted released in theatres on September 18, 2009, and was a huge hit. It earned over ₹60 crore net in India, and just under ₹100 crore gross worldwide. It was Salman’s first clean hit in years, and paved the way for blockbusters like Dabangg, Ready, and Bodyguard, which firmly established him as the top star in Bollywood in the years to come.