From Ranbir Kapoor to Emraan Hashmi: Bollywood’s Biggest Casting Denials

Bollywood’s rumour mill never sleeps — and in an era where a single viral post can spawn weeks of speculation, actors are increasingly being forced to publicly set the record straight. From Emraan Hashmi denying he will play legendary comedian Mehmood in an RD Burman biopic, to Ranbir Kapoor shutting down years of Dhoom 4 speculation at San Diego Comic-Con, 2026 has already given us two of the most headline-grabbing casting denials in recent memory. Here is a look at those instances and others where Bollywood stars officially pushed back against casting rumours.

1. Emraan Hashmi Denies Playing Mehmood In RD Burman Biopic (August 2026)

The most recent and most discussed casting denial of 2026 came on August 10, when Emraan Hashmi took to social media to put a stop to reports that he would be portraying legendary comedian-actor Mehmood Ali in an upcoming biopic.

Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi dismissed reports suggesting that he will portray legendary comedian-actor Mehmood in an upcoming biopic. A news report had started doing the rounds about Emraan joining the biopic on legendary music composer RD Burman, which Neeraj Pandey is reportedly helming — with Emraan reportedly set to play Mehmood, a close friend of the late musician.

However, Emraan took to X, formerly called Twitter, to debunk all rumours, writing: “Just to clarify, the reports about me playing Mehmood saab in a biopic are untrue. I haven’t been approached for the film, nor am I doing it.”

The denial was swift, blunt and unambiguous — and sparked enormous conversation across Indian social media. Hashmi was referring to Indian media reports saying he had been cast in the lead role for a biopic of Indian filmmaker Mehmood Ali.

Denial Breakdown

Meanwhile, Emraan Hashmi will soon be seen in the much-awaited Awarapan sequel. Directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Films, the sequel is set for a worldwide theatrical release on August 14.

2. Ranbir Kapoor Denies Being In Dhoom 4 (July 2026)

Ranbir Kapoor denied being a part of Dhoom 4, shutting down years of speculation linking him to the franchise. For years, rumours had linked the actor to Dhoom 4, with several reports claiming that he would lead the next chapter of Yash Raj Films’ popular action franchise.

Ranbir, who recently attended San Diego Comic-Con to promote Ramayana alongside director Nitesh Tiwari, producer Namit Malhotra and co-star Yash, clarified his upcoming slate during an interaction on the sidelines of the event. While discussing future projects, he denied being involved in Dhoom 4.

Ranbir clarified that his current lineup includes only Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love And War.

For nearly two years, the strongest trade rumour in Bollywood had suggested that Aditya Chopra had selected Ranbir Kapoor to lead the rebooted franchise as its new charismatic anti-hero.

Earlier, it was believed that Ayan Mukerji would be directing Dhoom 4. However, after the experience with War 2, Aditya Chopra reportedly decided to seek a different creative lead for this specific franchise.

A key reason cited for Ranbir’s departure from the project is the script. Sources indicate that Ranbir Kapoor was not entirely convinced by the current draft of the story.

The rumours had only grown stronger in 2025 when a report suggested that Vicky Kaushal could also join the project. Despite the constant buzz, Yash Raj Films has not officially announced Dhoom 4 or revealed any cast members.

Denial Breakdown

3. Shah Rukh Khan Denies Dhoom 4 Involvement (2018)

Interestingly, Dhoom 4 has been one of the most prolific sources of casting rumours in Bollywood history — and Ranbir Kapoor is not the first superstar to have publicly denied involvement in it.

Shah Rukh Khan denied being a part of the Dhoom film franchise, produced by Yash Raj Films. Khan said: “I did not sign any film with Yash Raj Films because right now I am oddly busy with Aanand L Rai’s film.”

The actor added: “Adi (Aditya Chopra, head of YRF) had told me about the project but I told him that till December I am occupied.”

Khan’s carefully worded denial did not rule out future conversations with YRF but made clear that no deal had been signed — and of course, the film has remained unconfirmed ever since.

Dhoom 4 — A History Of Denials

4. Emraan Hashmi Also Denied Dhurandhar 2 Casting (2026)

In a year that has seen Emraan Hashmi deal with more casting rumours than any other Bollywood actor, the actor also had to contend with viral speculation that he had been roped in to play Dhurandhar 2’s mysterious villain.

Social media went on an overdrive with speculation that Bollywood talent Emraan Hashmi had been roped in to play the mysterious ganglord “Bade Sahab”. The hype began after a Letterboxd screenshot listing Hashmi in the cast went viral on X.

However, verification showed that Hashmi’s name does not appear on the official Letterboxd page, confirming that these rumours were false. Fans hoping for a surprise cameo by the actor will have to wait for official announcements.

5. Varun Dhawan Denies Alia Bhatt In Judwaa 2 (2017)

One of Bollywood’s more memorable casting denial moments came when Varun Dhawan himself took to Twitter to shut down reports that Alia Bhatt had been cast as one of the leading ladies in Judwaa 2.

Actor Varun Dhawan denied reports of casting actresses for Judwaa 2 and said he would announce the names soon. “We have not cast the actresses in Judwaa 2. Sorry I had to stop your casting party. Will announce the names soon,” Dhawan posted on Twitter.

Actress Alia Bhatt was reported to be one of the leading ladies in the film. Judwaa 2, the second installment of the 1997 blockbuster Judwaa, which starred Salman Khan, was directed by Dhawan’s father, filmmaker David Dhawan.

Why This Keeps Happening In Bollywood

The pattern is familiar. A trade publication or social media account publishes a “scoop.” It goes viral. The actor in question is peppered with questions. They deny it. Fans are disappointed. The cycle repeats.

In an era of 24-hour news cycles, instant social media virality and the pressure to break stories first, unverified casting reports have become a standard feature of Bollywood discourse. The irony is that some of the films generating the most casting rumours — like Dhoom 4 — have never been officially greenlit at all.

For actors like Emraan Hashmi and Ranbir Kapoor, the public denial has become an almost unavoidable part of being a major star — a reminder that fame in the digital age means constantly having to correct the narrative that others have built around you.

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