Popular casting director Mukesh Chhabra called the first shot for his directorial debut film, The Fault In Our Stars Hindi adaptation in Jamshedpur. Starring his close friend Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi (who was seen briefly in Rockstar, Hindi Medium and Fukrey Returns) in the lead roles, TFIOS kicked off today with a 5 am shoot, as reported by a leading daily. “The first shot will be taken with Sanjana, who plays Kizie, and her parents in their home,” Mukesh shared.

The film is titled Kizie Aur Manny, after its protagonists.

Revealing the reason behind the uncanny film title, Mukesh revealed that 'Kizie' is not a common Indian name and that they had imported it from Africa because it is a perfect fit for their leading lady. Manny, on the other hand, is a common name across countries and unusual enough to spark of interest. For Mukesh, as the story revolves around cancer, making it heavy and intense, it was a deliberate attempt to turn the subject into a beautiful love story which plays out lightly between these two main characters. Henceforth, the title Kizie Aur Manny, that has the ring of a rhyme, like Bunty aur Babli, was finalized.

The first-time director pointed out that he was sure when he met Sanjana seven years after Rockstar, that she is best suited to play Kizie. “As for Sushant, I was the one who got him his first break, Kai Po Che! and during the shoot of PK where again I was the casting director, I had told him that whenever I directed my first film, he would be in it and he had replied that he would always be there for me. Four days ago, he reminded me of that. In an age of empty words, he has kept his promise,” added Mukesh.

The first poster of the Hindi remake of TFIOS was unveiled today. While the poster looks like the usual first look, a second glance reveals something weird. As the girl and boy -- Sushant and Sanjana -- sit atop an out-of-service bus, he has a Rajinikanth mask on.

https://twitter.com/CastingChhabra/status/1016211982423379968

Recommended Read: Here’s why Sushant Singh Rajput accepted Mukesh Chhabra’s The Fault In Our Stars

But when asked the reason to pick a small town like Jamshedpur for the location and the newbie director answered, "I needed a place with a small town vibe and had heard a lot about Jamshedpur from Imtiaz (Ali) and R Madhavan. When I came here for recee, I knew instantly that this was where I wanted my love story to take root."

Based on John Green’s bestselling 2012 novel, The Fault in our Stars, it’s the story of a 16-year-old cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and subsequently falls in love with another patient who has lost a leg to bone cancer. The film was made in Hollywood in 2014 starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in the lead roles.