Author Chetan Bhagat revealed that Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were considered for '2 States'. Chetan said he initially didn’t like idea of casting Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor, adding, "But it turned out to be amazing, their freshness and youth made the film what it was." Bhagat stated that Vishal Bhardwaj was once set to direct the movie.