The casting of Zoya Akhtar’s 2023 film The Archies, particularly star kids Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor, was under scrutiny for a long time. While the filmmaker defended her casting choices, many argued that the ‘nepo babies’ overshadowed other young actors in the musical-comedy drama. In a recent interview with Galatta India, casting director Karan Mally spoke about the casting process for The Archies.
When asked whether star kids Suhana, Agastya, and Khushi auditioned for their roles, Karan revealed that all the actors went through auditions. He also clarified that Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Boney Kapoor had no direct involvement in the casting process. “We took several auditions, including star kids and other normal actors as well. Eventually, we did whatever we felt was right. When we were working, we thought we were doing good work. We never thought kaun kiska bacha hai. Zoya aisi hai bhi nahi, didn’t think of that while casting,” Karan shared.
He added, “Be it Bachchan sahab, Khushi, or Suhana’s parents, I met all of them at the premiere. They never got involved before that.” Besides these star kids, The Archies also featured newcomers Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, and Aditi Seigal.
Karan Mally also mentioned that Vedang Raina and other cast members went ‘unnoticed’ due to the presence of star kids in The Archies. “Vedang bhi usi mein se nikla hai. He was studying and modelling, got his audition, and he looked like the best fit for the role. In Archies, only these three kids were talked about, but there were so many people who went unnoticed. We tried to match the comic book completely,” he said.
During an interview with Film Companion, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar opened up about the casting of The Archies. She said, “What I find fascinating is there were seven kids on that (The Archies) poster. Netflix and Tiger Baby Productions put seven kids on that poster, and the media only spoke about three (Suhana Khan, Agastya, and Khushi). And then turns around and tells us about nepotism. Actually, you’re the one not giving the other four attention. You robbed their moment and it’s heartbreaking to see. Who are you talking to? To us? We’ve put seven kids out there. You’ve just ignored four. And you took away their moment. So sorry. Your problem.”
