Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani has roped in Chitrangda Singh as his heroine for Baazaar. The film got a much needed boost when Saif Ali Khan signed on. Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan were said to be the initial choices for the lead role.
The role of female protagonist Mandira was said to have been offered first to Prachi Desai. Advani, though, maintains that Singh was always their first choice. He also said that he has offered a different project to Desai.
“I’m happy that the cast is looking so exciting. We have Saif, Chitrangda, Radhika Apte and Rohan Mehra (making his acting debut). The shoot has just begun and will be wrapped up by mid-August and the film is slated for a December release. Prachi has expressed interest in working with my production house, but that is for another project. As far as the role of Mandira in Baazaar is concerned, Gauravv K Chawla, my director, came up with the idea of casting Chitrangda,” Advani told tabloid Mumbai Mirror.
Ever since her debut in Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005), Singh has struggled to make a mark in Hindi cinema, often making sporadic appearances. The actress was last seen in an item song 'Aao Raja' from the Akshay Kumar-starrer Gabbar is Back (2015).