Anees Bazmee defends casting Sonam Kapoor

Anees Bazmee has defended his decision to cast Sonam Kapoor opposite Bollywood A-lister Akshay Kumar in his new film Thank You.

Several reports have claimed that the director made a mistake in casting Kapoor as her last two films Saawariya and Delhi 6 have not done well at the box office.

It has been suggested that Bazmee only decided to cast Kapoor because he is friends with a number of her family members who work in the film industry.

"I haven't seen her in Saawariya till date but I have seen her Delhi 6. I found her quite good in that and she came across as someone who is really vibrant, natural and very attractive," Bazmee told Real Bollywood

“While casting for Thank You I wasn't thinking about whether she has played a comic role in her earlier films or not. I just believed that she would fit into Thank You as per the requirement of the script. I am quite assured that she would do justice to Thank You."

Bazmee worked with Kapoor's producer brothers Boney, Anil and Sanjay on No Entry, No Problem and It's My Life respectively.

"I won't deny that she (Kapoor) is someone who belongs to my own house. But then this can never be the reason for me to rope in any actor. I am very professional in that sense," added Bazmee.

"I can go to a party, have tea and chat with people but I feel that if a family friend whom I meet there doesn't suit my film, I won't cast him or her. There are good expectations from me as a director, especially after my last three films (Singh Is Kinng, Welcome and No Entry). I have to ensure that my personal relationships are kept aside when it comes to casting decisions."