Did you know Jennifer Lawrence was rumoured to make her Bollywood debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput?

When Jennifer Lawrence was rumoured to make her Bollywood debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput

Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence is the epitome of beauty. Her brilliant acting skills and extraordinary beauty give her an edge over other contemporaries. She is one diva and she has proved it time and again. Jennifer has been leaving us speechless with her sartorial choices.

But did you know that very early on in her career, Jennifer was rumoured to be making her Bollywood debut and that too opposite Sushant Singh Rajput? As per reports in Hindustan Times, the ambitious science fiction-adventure film Paani was conceptualized by the filmmaker Shekhar Kapur years ago. By the turn of the last decade, things began moving for the film and in 2013, the director said Sushant Singh Rajput had signed on as the male lead. The following year, rumours began floating that Jennifer Lawrence, who had just won an Oscar, had been cast opposite Sushant in the film. Naturally, the news generated immense excitement in film fans.

Paani was supposed to be set in a world without water, focussing on a pair of young lovers navigating the hellish landscape. While Sushant coming on board had been confirmed by both the actor and the filmmaker, the news about the then-23-year-old Jennifer’s involvement was never confirmed. In January 2014, a Bollywood Life report cited an ‘insider’ as saying, “Paani will be an expensive film. The budget would be close to ₹150 crore. To justify that kind of a money, the film will have to do good business all around the world, and not just in India. Getting someone like Jennifer will ensure the film attracts eyeballs internationally as well.” The report added that Shekhar Kapur always wanted to cast a Hollywood actor in the film and zeroed in on Jennifer due to her popularity in India and acting skills.

However, less than a week later, Shekhar put all speculations to rest as he denied Jennifer was a part of the film. In fact, he said she hadn’t even been approached. “Jennifer Lawrence has not been approached for Paani. Just clearing out the rumors,” Shekhar tweeted on January 8, 2014. In the end, Paani never did get made.