The Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan was a HUGE deal way back in 2008. Released at a time when the Indian market was being flooded by copycat Chetan Bhagats with ridiculous ideas about love and sex, Chauhan’s Zoya Singh Solanki came as a breath of fresh air. The story revolved around the Indian cricket team and Zoya’s love affair with the sexy skipper Nikhil Khoda.
Khoda, apart from being tall, dark, handsome is also known to speak like a Nike ad. Chauhan’s book wasn’t attempting to be a The God Of Small Things – it was a fun, quirky summer read which also happened to dish out a lot of knowledge on the nation’s favourite game. Cut to 2018 and The Zoya Factor has been picked up by Bollywood and the shooting has begun. Fashionista Sonam Kapoor will be playing the lead role while Dulquer Salmaan will most probably portray Khoda.
Honestly, the casting is on point – the only other person we can imagine playing Zoya is Alia Bhatt. Sonam Kapoor has always been great in roles that require her to be quirky and we can totally see Salmaan slaying it as Khoda.
(Image credits: Dulquer Salmaan on Instagram)