Pakistani actress Mahira Khan made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 2017. In a recent interview with casting director Mukesh Chhabra on his YouTube channel, director Rahul Dholakia revealed that several prominent actresses, including Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, and Anushka Sharma, were considered for the role but ultimately did not fit for various reasons. Mahira was fortuitously in Mumbai during the casting process, leading to her selection.

Rahul explained, “We were looking for an actress to portray a Muslim girl from the 1980s. Our main criteria were good Hindi-speaking skills and a hint of an Urdu accent, along with an air of innocence. Since Shah Rukh was 50, we needed a heroine in her 30s. There are few actresses in India who fit this description. We considered Deepika, Kareena, and Anushka, but they were too expensive for a relatively small role. We also reviewed other actresses like Sonam and Katrina, but none of them seemed right for the character. I thought to myself, ‘Shah Rukh Khan cannot romance an Alia Bhatt!’”

He further mentioned that both Gauri Khan's mother and his own had noticed Mahira in a Pakistani television show and praised her talent. "Honey Trehan was casting for us, and I reached out to him to see if he knew Mahira. He told me she was in Mumbai for promotional work and offered to bring her in for an audition. After we auditioned her at the Excel office, I knew immediately, ‘I have found my Aasiya.’”