Madhuri, not Vidya, to star in ‘Ishqiya2’

Mumbai: After gaining critical acclaim for her performance in ‘Ishqiya’, Vidya Balan will not be seen in the sequel of the film. The filmmakers have approached Madhuri Dixit for the film instead.

The news has come as a surprise to many, as Vidya’s inclusion in the sequel was a forgone conclusion. The actress even attended the party where Vishal Bhardwaj announced ‘Ishqiya 2’.

While Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi will be seen in the sequel, some other actress will play the lead role.

According to a source, director Abhishek Chaubey’s script for the sequel doesn’t have a role, which requires Vidya. Speaking to a daily the source said, “Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi do fall in love again in the sequel but not with Vidya. They fall in love with two different girls,” said the source.

Apparently, both Bhardwaj and Chaubey were keen to cast Madhuri Dixit in one of the roles and had even approached the actress. “Madhuri asked for a very high fee. So we don’t know whether she is a part of the film, yet,” said the source.

As far as Vidya is concerened, the actress must have got a rude shock when she learnt that she had not been included in the sequel. Balan had in fact asked Shah Rukh Khan and Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman to star with her in ‘Ishqiya 2’ at a media event few months back.

On the other hand, if the money is negotiated, we might see Madhuri on screen with Arshad and Naseeruddin. That would make for an interesting cast for sure.