Anupria Goenka on getting rejected for Anushka Sharma’s role in Salman Khan starrer ‘Sultan’: Was very heartbreaking… Ek toh I’m dusky

Actress Anupria Goenka, known for her roles in films like 'Tiger Zinda Hai,' 'Padmaavat,' and 'War,' as well as hit OTT shows such as 'Sacred Games,' 'Abhay,' and 'Criminal Justice,' recently opened up about losing out on a major role in 'Sultan.' Despite auditioning over ten times for the part, she lost it to Anushka Sharma.
Anupria’s intense audition process for ‘Sultan’
In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, recalling her audition process, Anupria shared, "I auditioned for 'Sultan' for the main part. Tab woh log naye logo ko dhoond rahe the. Mere kuch 11-12 test hue the… pehle ek audition hua tha, phir doosra audition hua, phir there was a music video test, phir there was a dance test with Vaibhavi (Merchant), and then there were readings with Ali (Abbas Zafar)."
Anupria further revealed that she did not initially know she was auditioning for 'Sultan.' "That one-month process was beautiful. Thankfully mere liye voh poora process ek mahine ka tha. Agar woh 6-7 mahine ya ek saal chalta toh insaan anxiety main hi reh jaata na… Jab tak main Ali se nahi mili, mujhe pata bhi nahi tha ki 'Sultan' ki baat ho rahi hai because YRF main they don’t give you the actual script. They give you some other script, and they make you audition on that… It was only when I met Ali and he kept referring to ‘Mr. Khan’ that I realized ki this is for 'Sultan' and the main part."
"Ek toh I’m dusky, which I’m very proud of…"
When she did not get the role, Anupria admitted it was difficult to accept. "The whole process was very heartbreaking when I didn’t get it, of course… Ek toh I’m dusky, which I’m very proud of. I love being dusky. But I’m not a typical YRF heroine, right? I do not have the most shapely legs…"

Mrunal Thakur was also considered for Anushka’s role
Interestingly, Anupria was not the only actress who almost played Aarfa in 'Sultan.' During an episode of 'Bigg Boss 15,' Salman Khan revealed that Mrunal Thakur was originally considered for the role. "Mrunal had come to my Panvel farmhouse. Ali (Ali Abbas Zafar) had brought her," Salman recalled. However, he explained that Mrunal did not have the required physique for a wrestler’s role. "She did not look like a wrestler at the time," he said. Ultimately, the role went to Anushka Sharma, who delivered a powerful performance, impressing audiences with her chemistry with Salman Khan.


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