Kiara Advani to play Meena Kumari? Director Siddharth P Malhotra confirms leads are finalised

Kiara Advani; (right) (L-R) Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi. Pics/Instagram, X

The past few months have been all-consuming for Maharaj (2024) maker Siddharth P Malhotra, who is set to bring late Meena Kumari's story to the big screen with Kamal Aur Meena. There have been constant rumours that Kiara Advani may step into the shoes of the late Hindi cinema legend. While Malhotra didn't divulge names, he told mid-day that he has finalised the leads.

"I have put together my cast. They have said yes," said the director, who will trace the love story of Kumari and her filmmaker-husband Kamal Amrohi through the Bilal Amrohi production. He added that the casting process took a long time because the project demanded big stars. "It's Meena Kumari's story officially. If you don't get stars, you won't be able to mount the film."

Siddharth P Malhotra

Malhotra's next step is to get the finance in place. It's not lost on him that it will be an ambitious fare. "The film requires us to put up the Pakeezah [1972] and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam [1962] set. Plus, [we need] the songs' rights. So, automatically the bar is high."