Double XL Director Satram Ramani On How Shikhar Dhawan Agreed For His Debut Opposite Huma Qureshi

Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha's upcoming film Double XL has been getting the right hype for all good reasons. The film's concept about body shaming and body image issues has been lauded by the audience. Meanwhile, Double XL has a special highlight that has got fans super excited as it marks celebrated Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's Bollywood debut.

Shikhar will be seen in a special appearance in the film. But who convinced the cricketer to be a part of Double XL? It was none other than Huma's brother, Saqib Saleem.

In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Satram Ramani, Double XL director, talked about Shikhar Dhawan's cameo in the film and the reason for casting him. The filmmaker, sharing that he is fond of Dhawan, said, "In the film, Huma's character's dream is to become a sports presenter, as the trailer also shows. She wants to talk about cricket matches and everything. So, the relevant part of the dream needed a cricketer and I am fond of Shikhar Dhawan. I see him as an alpha male, who fits in both the desi league and the elite club. I felt that was the perfect casting but I didn't know if he would want to do it."

On being asked how such a busy and celebrated cricketer agreed to do a cameo, Satram Ramani revealed that it was Saqib Saleem's idea. Saqib Qureshi, the producer of Double XL and Huma Qureshi's brother, assisted in bringing Dhawan on board. "Saqib actually made a call to him and he was pretty open to it. He actually was convinced about the film's idea and he said, 'this film should be made'. That is the reason he supported us. He was kind enough for a one-day shoot and said, 'I'm there for you guys'," he stated.

Further, Ramani added that Shikhar Dhawan brought fun to the sets and they had a good time shooting with him.

Talking about Double XL, the film has been touted as a slice-of-life comedy-drama that challenges bodyweight stereotypes that have long plagued us as a society. It also stars Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra as the male leads.

Double XL will hit the theatres on November 4, 2022.