In the film world, rejecting a script is common knowledge but the very refusal, takes an interesting turn when the film in question goes on to become a super hit! That’s when reports of who was originally approached start to do the rounds. The film we are talking about is the Telugu blockbuster – Arjun Reddy. Directed by debutant Sandeep Vanga, the film starred Arjun Reddy and Shalini Pandey in the lead. Despite controversies the film went on to fare brilliantly at the box office. It was lauded for its bold, unusual plot and for the lead star’s performances. But as every casting story goes, Vijay and Shalini were not only choices. Also Read: 5 reasons why Telugu film Arjun Reddy is perfect for a Bollywood remake
Sharwanand was in fact approached for this story, he has now publicly confessed about feeling bad for rejecting this movie. As for Shalini’s role it had initially been offered to Parvathi Nair. In a recent interview, she admitted she was apprehensive of the intimate scenes. Also, at the time it seemed to be an ordinary love story to Parvathy. She wasn’t sure about the director’s vision who happened to be making his debut with this movie.
“But, when I saw the film in a theatre, I felt so bad and unfortunate for missing it. One must give full credit to director Sandeep for converting a simple love story into a genuinely impactful film. The presentation was so well that I just fell in love with the film,” confessed the actress.
Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 4-5 crore, the film went on to collect Rs 50 crore at the box office, thus becoming one of the biggest hits of 2017. It was the number 3 movie on IMDb’s top list of Indian films (2017). The film is now officially being remade in Hindi. There have been speculations aplenty about the lead role – Varun Dhawan and Arjun were the allegedly the top contenders. Most recently, news of Shahid Kapoor was doing the rounds. But an official announcement awaits.