EXCLUSIVE: ‘Heartbroken’ Aahana Kumra Recalls Getting NO Credit For Being A Casting Assistant In Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan; Says, “Woh Mera Pehela Experience Tha…”

Aahana Kumra was involved in the casting process for Karan Johar’s film My Name Is Khan, she was working as a casting assistant at that time. I an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, she helped audition actors and recalled suggesting Arjun Mathur for the role of Raj Burman, a suggestion that was ultimately accepted by director KJo. Kumra described how fulfilling it was to know that her opinion played a part in the casting decisions. Scroll down to read what she said and watch the full interview.

Aahana Kumra Recalls Getting NO Credit For Being A Casting Assistant In Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan

When asked about her being the casting assistant in Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, Aahana Kumra recalled, “Mera naam nahi dala gaya tha, dalna chahiye tha—casting assistant. Nahi dala hum logon ne. In fact, jab film dekhi thi, I was quite heartbroken at that time because it was my first job. Mera naam hi nahi gaya tha. I am not sure why, but waise kaise casting hoti hai badi films ki—My Name Is Khan. In fact, I had a great time casting that film and woh mera pehla experience tha casting mein.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bollywood Bubble Television (@bollywoodbubbletelly)

She continued, “Aur Shanoo, main unko kaafi saalon se jaanti hoon—unke father Mukesh uncle aur Rita aunty, aur Shanoo ke jo brother hain, Sameer, woh mere bahut acche mitr hain. Toh woh log bhi Lucknow se hain. Aur Shanoo ke father general manager the. Hum log bhi Lucknow se hain, kyunki hamari paidaish wahi ki hai. Main wahi par badi hui hoon. Mere father unko bahut achhi tarah se jaante hain. So jab maine Shanoo ke saath kaam karna start kiya tha, although she did not hire me because she knew me or my family—in fact, kaam ke dauraan hi mujhe pata chala ki mere papa unke papa ko jaante hain.”

Aahana Kumra On My Name Is Khan Casting

The actress recalled her experience working in Dharma Production. She said, “Toh jab maine My Name Is Khan ki casting ki thi, I remember I had auditioned everybody in the city. Everybody. There was not a single actor jo Prithvi Theatre ke database mein ho, ya kisi theatre community ke database mein ho, ya kahin aur ke database mein ho, jisko maine audition na kiya ho. But what was really lovely at that time was ki Varun aur Sid dono assistant directors the, aur Varun kaafi aake humse baatein karte the, because he was AD on that film. I remember the first time I met Sidharth Malhotra and Ekta. I was in a room, and it was very intimidating.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aahana S Kumra (@aahanakumra)

She added, “Imagine—you’re going as a casting assistant with a laptop, and you have to show the shortlist: ‘Iss role ke liye yeh shortlist hai, aur is role ke liye yeh options hain.’ And Karan ne mujhse poocha tha us waqt. Karan Johar, matlab, was a big deal—you know, he still is a big deal—but us time My Name Is Khan ke peak pe, imagine Karan Johar asking me: ‘Who do you like for this part?’ I was like, oh wow. Aur maine unko 2–3 options dikhaye the, ke is role ke liye mujhe lagta hai yeh-yeh log fit hain. Usually hum assistants unko shortlist dete the, aur phir woh directly Shanoo se baat karte the. She would say, ‘I think this actor is good for this part.'”

Aahana Kumra Recalls Karan Johar Asking Her Opinion On Casting

Concluding the actress said, “But I remember, ek bari meeting chal rahi thi—imagine, ek room mein Karan Johar baithe hain, Karan Malhotra baithe hain, Ekta, Sid, Varun, poori team baithi hai. Main gayi thi with one of my friends, jo casting assistant bhi tha. Aur suddenly, Karan Johar asked me: ‘Who do you think is good for this part?’ And I gave my opinion. Mujhe laga ki yeh actor sahi hai is role ke liye. Us waqt maine Arjun Mathur ka audition liya tha. And I told him, ‘Sir, mujhe lagta hai Arjun Mathur is perfect for this role.'”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aahana S Kumra (@aahanakumra)

She added, “And he cast Arjun for that part. So for me, it was a huge deal. Arjun ko pata hai ya nahi ki maine recommend kiya tha—I don’t know, I think maine shayad kabhi bataya hoga. But for me, it was a big deal, because jab maine Arjun Mathur ko lock karwaya, I was so happy. Imagine someone like Karan Johar, who was so big even then, actually asked for my opinion when I was just an assistant, aur meri koi opinion bhi nahi thi us waqt. But he still asked, and I felt it was really nice of him to do that. So that’s when you realise—maybe you’re good at something. And maybe this is the track you’re supposed to be on.”

My Name is Khan is a 2010 Bollywood drama film directed by Karan Johar. It starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Watch The Full Interview

For more news and updates from the entertainment world, stay tuned to Bollywood Bubble.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Aahana Kumra BREAKS SILENCE On Pawan Singh’s Fans Sending Her Death, R*pe Threats After Rise And Fall Eviction; Says, “I Never Played The Victim Card”

Akankshya Mukherjee

Akankshya Mukherjee is a dynamic and ambitious individual poised to make waves in the realm of Media and Communication. With a passion for creativity and a drive to contribute to forward-thinking organizations, Akankshya embodies adaptability and a hunger for learning. Having already garnered experience through involvement in various organizations, she has honed the skill of quickly adapting to new environments and challenges. She sees each opportunity as a chance for personal and professional growth, eagerly embracing roles in communications and content writing.