'Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor auditioned for 'The Archies' like any other actors' : Karan Mally reveals Zoya Akhtar did not consider their parents before casting

The 2023 musical drama 'The Archies', directed by Zoya Akhtar, garnered attention as it featured star kids Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor in lead roles, marking their debut. The film faced backlash for casting star kids in the main roles, while some critics felt that the movie would have been better with talented newcomers. All the new cast members in 'The Archies' were subjected to trolling and negative comments about their performances, with netizens pointing to nepotism. Casting director Karan Mally has now responded to the widespread criticism regarding the film’s casting.

Casting director Karan Mally says all the star kids went through auditions



In a recent conversation with Galatta India, Karan Mally addressed the common assumption that Suhana, Agastya, and Khushi were selected without auditions. He clarified that every actor, regardless of their background, underwent proper screen tests. “We conducted several auditions, including with star kids and other aspiring 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 about who was whose child. Zoya isn’t even like that — we didn’t consider that while casting,” he shared.

He further revealed that Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Boney Kapoor had no say in the selection of their children for the film. “Be it Bachchan sahab, Khushi, or Suhana’s parents — I met all of them at the premiere. They were never involved before that,” he noted.

About the casting of The Archies

The Archies also introduced audiences to fresh faces such as Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, and Aditi Saigal. Karan admitted that some of these new talents didn’t receive the attention they deserved, as the discourse was largely focused on the performances and casting of celebrity children. He also shared that the team had tried their best to stay true to the comic book while making The Archies.