83: Kabir Khan says Deepika Padukone was always his first choice for 'Romi'

Filmmaker Kabir Khan opened up about his fondness for Deepika Padukone in his latest interview and spilled that he always wanted to cast her for Romi.

While speaking to Indian Express, Kabir said he had always admired the Chennai Express actor for her spectacular performances over the years. He went on to add that he would have cast her even if she was not married to Ranveer Singh.

In the movie, Ranveer portrays the role of Kapil Dev while the RamLeela actor has been cast as the cricket legend’s wife, Romi Bhatia. It will be their first movie together after the wedding in 2018.

“Her casting has nothing to do with Ranveer. Yes, today, as a marketing campaign it’s a thing to talk about. It’s a real-life couple coming together for the first time after marriage. However, I would have gone to Deepika even if she was not married to Ranveer. I have admired her over the years and she is a fantastic actor, with such an amazing presence”, he said.

Kabir further elaborated, “Romi Dev’s character does not have a lot of screentime but it’s very significant. The energy that Romi brings was much needed".