Sonam Kapoor opposite Dhanush in ‘Raanjhanaa’

Intense discussions all of last week between director and actresses have landed Sonam Kapoor a plum role of a student from Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) who hails from Varanasi.

And now Sonam Kapoor, who plays the title role in Aanand Rai’s Raanjhanaa would have to play Tamil star Dhanush’s object of passionate adoration. As per the script, Dhanush is a local Varanasi boy and Sonam is a Varanasi girl educated in Delhi.

Sonam would now have to spend time on the JNU campus where her character is supposed to be educated, learning the conduct and ideology of students there.

Says a source, “The culture of education at the JNU is radically different from other universities in Delhi and across the country. At JNU students, both male and female, are very politically aware .They talk intelligently on national issues. They dress sensibly, hang out at specific cafes in Delhi, attend seminars and protest actively on national issues. The director Aanand Rai wanted Sonam to imbibe all of these traits. And they also speak fluent Hindi.”

When it comes to her spoken Hindi Sonam, according to the source from Raanjhanaa, needs to work as hard as Dhanush. Dhanush, we hear, is in Mumbai sitting on the dubbing of the Hindi version of his wife’s film 3 with a Hindi coach, trying to get the rashtra bhasha right.

For Sonam too it’s been decided the accented Hindi and the haute-couture look just won’t do. The actress would have to spend time on the JNU campus. And she will work on her language, clothes and appearance.

“But Sonam is not quite the Varanasi girl. She is a local girl who has been to college in Delhi for three years, and returned to her home-town quite the sophisticated small-towner who’s acquired a metropolitan air,” says a source close to the project.

The director was not sure Sonam could carry off the role .After meeting Sonam, Aanand Rai is convinced.

Says the director, “I am bowled over by her commitment to getting the nuances of the role right. I’ve found my lady.”