As far as starting points go, Dhadak 2 has got it right. Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri’s love story is built on the firm foundation of the Tamil original, Pariyerum Perumal (2018), which explored the rampant casteism in society. Meenu Arora, who has co-produced director Shazia Iqbal’s Hindi adaptation, reveals that convincing producer Pa Ranjith to part with the remake rights wasn’t easy. “He was skeptical about giving it to a Bollywood film because he didn’t want the story to lose its essence and soul. It took me six months to convince him,” she begins.
(L-R) Anandhi and Kathir in ‘Pariyerum Perumal’
Arora remembers initiating the conversation with Ranjith in 2022, and months later, he finally gave his nod. What brought about the change of heart? “After a few conversations, he saw how deeply I believed in the story and why I felt it needed to be told in a different cultural context. He knew we weren’t trying to replicate Pariyerum Perumal, but reinterpret its emotional core in a different world. Once that was clear, he was open to letting me take it forward. What struck me most was the film’s depth and emotional power. At its heart, it’s a deeply human story of love and longing,” says Arora.
Pa Ranjith, Meenu Arora and Karan Johar
Karan Johar was her first choice for a producer as she set out to bring the story to the Hindi film audience. Taking the project to the filmmaker was an emotional decision, she shares. “I wanted it to be a larger-than-life and mainstream movie. I knew they’d handle the subject with sensitivity, yet make it a beautiful love story. I first shared the film with Somen [Mishra, head of creative development, Dharma Productions]. I was anxious when Karan was going to watch the film. But I knew that if he watched it, the love story would resonate with him — which it did. From that moment, Karan championed the film.”
In May, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared Dhadak 2 with a U/A 16+ certificate, after 16 changes, which included modifying scenes depicting caste-based discrimination. It was reportedly one of the reasons why the movie’s release was pushed. Ask Arora about the changes, and she says, “Enough has already been said about this at the trailer launch. You have to understand why they wanted certain cuts. The CBFC was understanding of the story the director wanted to tell, and its feedback came from a place of protecting sensitivities.”