Tabu, Irrfan Khan were the first choice to play Ayushmann Khurrana's parents in Badhaai Ho?

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New Delhi: Ayushmann Khurrana has been receiving a lot of accolades for his stellar performance in recent released 'Andhadhun'. And now, he is gearing up for the release of his next family entertainer 'Badhaai Ho' which will hit the theatres on Friday. 

The Amit Ravindernath Sharma's film, which also stars Sanya Malhotra, has generated enough buzz for its unique content and interesting cast. The film features Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao in the role of Ayushmann's parents. However, not many know that these two versatile actors were not the original choices of the makers. During a recent interview with news agency PTI, director Amit Ravindernath revealed that he had earlier considered to cast Tabu and Irrfan in the role of Ayushmann's parents in the film.

"We approached Tabu mam in the beginning as we thought she would be nice in the role. But she's the one who suggested Neena mam's name and said 'You need someone slightly older so that when people see her getting pregnant, there's this disbelief". Here is an age difference between the two and I liked Tabu's suggestion. Neena mam is perfect for the role," Amit told to PTI. 

"When we thought of Irrfan and Tabu, we thought that they would be the best on-screen husband and wife. But both of them said though they're relatable and have worked as pairs on screen but if we have a father who isn't as fit and the mother slightly older, it'll be more relatable. Neena and Gajraj feel more real and organic. So it all clicked," added Amit.

It is to be noted that Tabu and Irrfan first worked together in Vishal Bhardwaj's 2003 crime-drama 'Maqbool'. Later, they appeared in films like 'The Namesake', 'Talvar' and 'Haider' among others.