Overview

• Chaturvedi was shortlisted for the lead role of Qais at age 22 but lost the part when casting directors decided the male lead needed to look older than the heroine.
• He even grew a beard and sent updated photos to the Laila Majnu team, yet the role ultimately went to Avinash Tiwary opposite Triptii Dimri.
• Though Laila Majnu underperformed at its 2018 release, it developed a cult following online and earned four times its initial run during an August 2024 re-release.
• Chaturvedi and Dimri will debut as an on-screen pair in Dhadak 2, a spiritual sequel to Dhadak directed by Shazia Iqbal, which opens on August 1, 2025.
• His recollection highlights age-based casting norms in Bollywood and follows Dimri’s breakthrough debut in Laila Majnu seven years ago.