EXCLUSIVE: Ameesha Patel suggested Utkarsh Sharma’s casting in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha; says, “They were screen testing so many children” : Bollywood News

Anil Sharma’s Gadar: Ek Prem Katha had Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel play lead characters. But the film also saw the then child actor Utkarsh Sharma in an important role of their little son Jeete. In the movie, his character also goes through the ordeal along with his parents, played by Sunny and Ameesha.

EXCLUSIVE: Ameesha Patel suggested Utkarsh Sharma’s casting in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha; says, “They were screen testing so many children”

Utkarsh, as we all know, is Anil Sharma’s son. But it was Ameesha who suggested his casting for the role of Jeete. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Ameesha revealed, “They were screen testing so many children. I was in the office, and I said, ‘Anil ji aap kya kar rahe ho? Aapka beta itna cute hai, aap usi ko lelo (What are you doing? Your son is so cute, you should cast him). But he said how can he say this to the producers and asked me to suggest this to them. I told the producer Nitin Keni and everyone and said, ‘See he is such a cute kid.’ They said actually what I am saying is true and what better than a father who is directing.”

Ameesha added that because of the odd timings in which Sharma works, it was best that he cast his son. “Anil Sharma has no timings,” said the actress. “He will make you work 20 hours. In Gadar, we sometimes worked 30-32 hours at a stretch non-stop. And he also used to make his son work on the sets. I told him jokingly, ‘You can only make your own son do this. Kisi aur ka bachcha toh bhaag jayega.’”

Ameesha is all praise for Utkarsh’s work in Gadar. “He is a very sweet boy, and he justified his role in the film which is of a cute little son. He is still Jeete only (for me). For me, he is still an innocent, sweet and obedient little boy,” she said.

Utkarsh will be playing the grown-up son of Tara (Sunny) and Sakeena (Ameesha) in Gadar 2, which is set in 1971. The film is set to be released in theatres on August 11.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ameesha Patel says she was called “too educated” for doing films; recalls rebelling against everything in life