Was Kareena first choice for Kangana Ranaut's Mental Hai Kya? Makers deny

Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao's quirky looks in Mental Hai Kya has raised curiosity among fans. But, reports state that Kareena Kapoor Khan and Emraan Hashmi were the first choices for the project.

According to a Bollywoodlife report, producer Ekta Kapoor wanted to make this film, previously titled Badtameez Dil, long back in 2013. Kareena and Emraan were approached, but things did not turn out right.

"In 2013, Ekta had pitched the idea to Bebo. She wanted to get Kareena and Emraan Hashmi on board for the film, which was previously titled Badtameez Dil. But it never materialized," the entertainment portal quoted a source as saying.

The film apparently had some nudity, which was one of the reasons for Kareena to refuse the project.

"Bebo felt that the storyline was way ahead of its time. It was dark and explosive in many ways. It also had several bold scenes and nudity. Kareena politely refused the film and it was put on the back burner," the source told the website.

The report further said that the makers made slight changes to the script of Badtameez Dil, titled it Mental Hai Kya, and got Kangana and Rajkummar on board after five years. While Kareena reportedly rejected the project, Kangana liked it and agreed to be part of it instantly.

One of the latest posters of Mental Hai Kya showed Kangana posing nude with some strange expressions, which suggested that the film will have a certain amount of nudity and some bold scenes.

However, Balaji's spokesperson in a statement denied the rumours, saying that Kangana and Rajkummar were always the first choices for the film. The statement also said that the script of Mental Hai Kya was written just last year.

"Mental Hai Kya is a completely different script, which was written only last year. Balaji heard the script just six months back, and green lit the project. Kangana Ranaut was always the first and only choice for the film, and we are happy that she said yes to it soon after hearing the first narration. Kangana and Rajkummar Rao have been our first choices for the role. The looks that we released last week have garnered fabulous reactions from the audiences and we're so excited to start shoot for this mental ride," read the statement.

After Queen, this is the second time Kangana and Rajkummar have teamed up for a film. Both the stars are known for their excellent acting skills, and thus, fans are extremely excited to see their mad chemistry on the big screen.

Directed by National Award winner Prakash Kovelamudi, Mental Hai Kya will reportedly highlight the idea of "beauty in imperfections".