'Ek Villain' review in PICS

Sidharth Malhotra was reported to be doing a lot of action sequences for the film and this will be his first film where he is playing a character with grey shades. Actor Riteish Deshmukh will be cast in a negative role in this film. Deshmukh described his character as a "radical departure" roles he is renowned for. Mohit Suri, who also directed the Shraddha Kapoor starrer 'Aashiqui 2', had to hunt a lot to find a lead actress for his upcoming project before signing Shraddha. Both Mohit and Ekta Kapoor were confirmed that Shraddha suited the lead actress the best. There were earlier reports of Alia Bhatt and Esha Gupta being approached for the role. According to a Mid Day source, Shraddha Kapoor read the script and liked it, and she didn't hesitate in getting signed for the film as Mohit Suri directed her first hit (referring to 'Aashiqui 2'). After the success of 'Aashiqui 2', it became easy for the director to select the lead actress. Actor Shaad Randhawa of 'Aashiqui 2' fame was roped in to play a cop with grey shades who fights against the dark characters played by Malhotra and Deshmukh. Television and film actress Aamna Sharif is also playing a significant role in the film.