A film starring Ranbir Kapoor, released 13 years ago, achieved phenomenal success despite the protagonist’s inability to speak or hear, and a lack of conventional action sequences. The movie, titled ‘Barfi!’, which premiered in 2012, featured Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz in pivotal roles. However, one of these roles was initially offered to Katrina Kaif.
According to IMDb, the role played by Ileana D’Cruz in ‘Barfi!’ was first offered to Katrina Kaif. Kaif reportedly liked the story and understood her character but declined the offer shortly before filming commenced. The reason cited was her commitment to Yash Chopra’s film ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan,’ where she was cast alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, and she didn’t want to forgo the opportunity.
When Katrina Kaif rejected the role, it went to Ileana D’Cruz, who accepted it without an audition. Ranbir Kapoor played the lead role, and Priyanka Chopra was the second lead actress. ‘Barfi!’ achieved significant box office success. The film was directed and produced by Anurag Basu, who also wrote the story. The movie was made under the banner of UTV Movies. ‘Barfi!’ revolves around Ranbir Kapoor’s character, Barfi. The film featured strong performances from Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D’Cruz, along with supporting roles from actors like Sumona Chakravarti, Akash Khurana, Jisshu Sengupta, and Saurabh Shukla. The film had a budget of ₹40 crore and grossed ₹175 crore worldwide, making it a blockbuster.
The film’s soundtrack included popular songs such as ‘Main Kya Karoon,’ ‘Phir Le Aaya Dil,’ ‘Itti Si Hassi, Itti Si Khushi,’ ‘Kyon,’ and ‘Ala Barfi,’ which were widely appreciated and continue to be listened to. The film narrates the story of Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor), a deaf and mute, carefree young man who falls in love with Shruti Ghosh (Ileana D’Cruz), but she ends up marrying someone else. After heartbreak, he then meets Jhilmil Chatterjee (Priyanka Chopra), and the film explores how Barfi’s life takes a turn.
