Director Kiran Rao says that she chose Prateik for Dhobi Ghat because she wanted an innocent and a fresh face for the movie and Prateik perfectly matched the criteria.

 

After director Kiran Rao chose Prateik in the lead role for Dhobi Ghat instead of hubby Aamir Khan’s relative Imran Khan there was a lot of speculations. However, Rao’s statement explains that. She said, “I went to dhobi ghats at Mahalaxmi and Banganga, apart from localities like Nagpada and Dongri, because I was looking for people who live and have been brought up on the streets. Munna is the backbone of the story, one who connects everyone in the movie, and so I needed someone who could carry that weight.”

 

About Prateik’s audition, she said, “He had cut his hair short, he was looking very fresh and young having shaved his beard. Prateik had that innocence, candor, and relaxed body language that I needed for Munna. I knew the rest could be worked upon.”

 

Rao added, “Aamir did extensive workshops with Prateik, helping him build the personality and the body language to play Munna. Prateik has a screen presence and chemistry with the camera that is very rare to find.”