It was well-known that Vidya Balan was to be cast in the Meena Kumari-biopic. Though the actress was very keen to play the role, she recently opted out of the film. "I'm not doing the Meena Kumari-biopic anymore. It didn't quite work out. I love Meena Kumari. If I had a girl crush on somebody, it would be her. If she was alive, I'd probably land up to see her all the time. I am that fascinated by her. I always wanted to play her," she stated regrettably. When asked what went wrong, she said, "The script has to do justice. It can't just be a sensational account of her life. It has to present different episodes of her life and not just the ones that will grab eyeballs. So, I decided not to do it." She further explained, "I am happy to do the controversial bits as long as it's a well-rounded perspective." The actress had also been offered the biopic on Indira Gandhi, but unfortunately, she had to opt out of that film as well. "I am dying to do the Indira Gandhi-biopic. But there have been issues with the rights and the permission to make the film," revealed the Kahaani star.