Even as Hindi cinema is becoming braver, casting the romantic interests of leads in queer love stories continues to be a challenge. So, after watching Badhaai Do, one is compelled to seek out the casting directors who found the perfect on-screen partners for Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar. Shiv Chauhan and Ashish Khare admit it wasn’t easy. “It can be a challenge as it’s an image-conscious industry. But times are changing; actors now are more open to experimenting. They want to play well-written characters that give them a chance to stand out. Badhaai Do provided this opportunity. There were more yeses than noes,” recounts Chauhan.

A still from the film