'Gut instinct' guided 'Sultan' helmer to cast Anushka over Parineeti

After an intense hunt for almost two to three months, it was director Ali Abbas Zafar's gut feelingthat roped in Anushka Sharma to play Arfa, the lady opposite Salman Khan in the upcoming flick 'Sultan.'

Speaking to DNA, the director said that "there was a talk of Parineeti, because she had a body type," but he "wanted Anushka" because he "just felt that."

"At the end of the day, as a director you can only go by your gut and instinct. And I went with that," he said.

Zafar further said that their idea was to create a character, who is as equal as the protagonist, "so that even he feels that she is an equal to him."

"The way she has pulled through... In the film, when she fights international tournaments, she is very good," he added.

All set to release this Eid, the movie also stars Randeep Hooda and Amit Sadh.