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Aamir Khan Productions introduced Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra as new talent for Dangal. The pair portrayed the actor's on-screen daughters, Babita and Geeta Phogat, in the sports drama. Casting director-turned-actor Diksha Juneja disclosed that both ladies were selected following auditions of 3000 to 5000 girls in India. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Jagran, the Saare Jahan Se Acha star recounted the casting process of the Dangal with Aamir Khan. She assisted Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director, in choosing the girls for the role.

Aamir Khan was thoroughly involved in the casting process of Dangal, recalled Diksha Juneja. "He was so humble, he was so kind. I was really amazed by the fact that such a busy actor, was so involved in the whole process that he actually saw each and every audition and when I saw each every, there would be like 3000 to 5000 audition, which we did for Dangal."

Aamir Khan saw most of the audition tapes for the casting of Geeta and Babita Phogat for Dangal. She shared, "He saw like most of it like 90% of them he saw. There was only a 10% which, because Mukesh (Chhabra) sir used be like - 'Yeh toh bilkul hi acha nahi, kyu dikhana hai.'

"Even then he used be like 'nahi nahi mujhe dikhao.' He was so involved. Even when the shortlisted actors happened, he wanted to be a part of the workshops," she added.

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Dangal, which was directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat of Haryana and the adventures of his daughters Babita and Geeta Phogat. The last two candidates, Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh, underwent a demanding two-year preparation program. Kripa Shankar, a national wrestling coach, taught them. To appear like professional wrestlers, their moves had to be genuine, and they were forced to adhere to the same rules as the real Geeta and Babita Phogat. During the training process, they also sustained a few injuries, but their perseverance kept them going.

Who Is Diksha Juneja?

Diksha Juneka, meanwhile, has appeared in a few movies, short films, and web series. In 2017, she made her acting debut in Dil Jo Keh Na Saka. She also starred in a short film called Ghumakkad and had small parts in Bollywood film Rajma Chawal, which was chosen at the BFI London Film Festival.

ALSO READ - Saare Jahan Se Accha On OTT: Plot, Cast, OTT Platform, Release Date And More About Pratik Gandhi’s Series

 
 
 
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Saare Jahan Se Accha, a Netflix series that tells the tales of intelligence community unsung heroes who operate in the background without acknowledgment, featured her most recently. Rajat Kapoor, Tillotama Shome, Sunny Hinduja, Suhail Nayyar, Pratik Gandhi, Anup Soni, and Kritika Kamra are also featured in the spy fiction series.