Was Deepika the wrong choice for Meenamma?

My vote is yes.

Deepika was better than Shahrukh performance wise, she was more natural and she really seemed like a South Indian girl in most scenes. Deepika's problem was her fake South Indian accent that was only convincing in two scenes of the movie. In order to make what she thinks is a South Indian accent, she made her voice very thick at times. I thought I was listening to a transvestite (no offense meant). I have no idea why she did that and I have no idea how Rohit Shetty believes that this is what a South Indian accent should sound like. Just terrible! Moreover, in that emotional scene after Rahul dispersed his grandfather's ashes, Deepika completely forgot to use her South accent!

Deepika said in an interview that she wasn't getting this accent right and kept working on it and then one day she just "got it." So clearly, she was casted for the film without the director or producer even worrying about whether she would get the accent right or not. I don't blame them because isn't Deepika South Indian? Deepika is a talented and beautiful girl but I think someone else would have been better in this role. Maybe someone like Asin or Genelia - people who have acted in the South industry for years- would have been better.