Why Sonakshi Sinha and Jyothika replaced Kareena Kapoor Khan-Kiara Advani in Ashwiny Iyer's upcoming OTT film?

After almost two years of back-and-forth, filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has finally hit the ground running with her much-awaited OTT project, a courtroom drama backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani¡¯s Excel Entertainment, and Harman Baweja¡¯s Baweja Studios. What¡¯s making more noise than the shoot itself is the casting shuffle that saw Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kiara Advani being replaced by Sonakshi Sinha and Jyothika.

What happened to Kareena and Kiara?

Let¡¯s rewind. Kareena and Kiara were initially locked for the project, and fans were quite excited to see the two powerhouse performers together. But despite months of discussions and planning, things just didn¡¯t fall into place. The team was eager to kick off the shoot earlier this year, but scheduling conflicts and creative disagreements reportedly delayed the project further.

A source close to the production spilt the tea to Mid-day: ¡°The original plan with Kapoor and Advani didn¡¯t materialise because it didn¡¯t align with [our] timelines and creative direction.¡±

A fresh cast, a fresh take

With the new draft in place and the story tightened, Ashwiny and her team began auditioning again. That¡¯s when Sonakshi Sinha stepped in. After multiple look tests and script readings, she was locked in for the lead role of a fierce, no-nonsense lawyer. According to insiders, her performance in recent roles, especially her bold avatar in Dahaad, made her a perfect fit. ¡°Sonakshi brings a grounded intensity to the role that impressed the creative team,¡± said the source.

As for the second lead, Jyothika, who has already proved her courtroom chops in the 2020 Tamil film Ponmagal Vandhal, was roped in to play a strong parallel character. She¡¯s expected to start shooting mid-June.

This is not your usual courtroom drama

The film, which has already begun shooting in parts of Malvani, Madh Island, and Vile Parle (where courtroom sets have been specially recreated), is shaping up to be an emotionally charged legal drama. But this isn¡¯t your typical black-coat drama filled with loud objections and flying verdicts. ¡°The legal arguments have emotional backstories, and both female leads have equal weight. Their courtroom scenes are expected to be the highlight of the film,¡± the source added.

The film is yet to be titled, and if everything goes as planned, the team will wrap by the end of this year, and we could be looking at a 2026 release on Amazon Prime Video.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.