Anil was supposed to play the third of the three skirt-chasers in Thank You. That was when Katrina Kaif was the film's leading lady. Katrina and Anil had played man and wife in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye.
But then Sonam stepped in to the picture. That's when Anil stepped out quietly and even recommended his closest rival in the international arena, Irrfan for the part.
According to a source Anees wanted Anil to continue as a part of the cast in Thank You.
Says the source, "Anees thought it would be okay for Anil to stay in the picture even after Sonam replaced Katrina since Sonam was not cast opposite Anil. But Anil didn't feel comfortable playing a womanizer in a film that starred his daughter. He recommended Irrfan who had never done such an out-and-out fun film. "
Interestingly Anil's rivalry with Irrfan goes back a long way—right into the international arena where their respective careers are running on parallel tracks. If currently Anil is working in a sequel to Mission Impossible, Irrfan is main villain in the new sequel to Spiderman.
Surprisingly, Anees doesn't deny the fact that Anil Kapoor was to do Irrfan Khan's role. "Yes, we did replace Anil with Irrfan. But what to do?Casting circumstances changed in Thank You. And it was no longer
decorous to cast Anil Kapoor. "
What Anees means is the role requires the character to frolic around the heroine Sonam Kapoor.
Anees admits Anil was replaced because of Sonam. "Earlier it was Katrina Kaif who was doing the heroine's part in Thank You. That's when Anil Kapoor was cast. When Sonam came into the picture we quickly changed Anil to Irrfan. It would've looked very odd for Anil to play the roving-eyed Casanova in a film featuring his daughter. "
In hindsight Anees feels being replaced to avoid being naughty in front of his daughter, was the right thing to do for Anil. "There should be no hard feelings over that.
Anil and I go back a long way. I've worked with him in No Entry, Welcome and No Problem. Now I've also worked with his daughter. I've been closely associated with Anil's brother Boney also. I don't think Anil has reason to be unhappy with me. "
