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Published 13:18 IST, February 3rd 2025

Sandeep Reddy Vanga Reveals Sai Pallavi Was His First Choice For Arjun Reddy But Was Told To 'Forget It': She Won't Even...

At Naga Chaitanya's Thandel pre-release event, Sandeep Reddy Vanga revealed that Sai Pallavi was the original choice for his 2017 film Arjun Reddy.

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Vanga Wanted To Cast Sai Pallavi In Arjun Reddy But Was Told To...
Vanga Wanted To Cast Sai Pallavi In Arjun Reddy But Was Told To... | Image: X

Sandeep Reddy Vanga debuted as a director with the 2017 Telugu film Arjun Reddy, a blockbuster featuring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in the lead roles. But did you know, that Sai Pallavi was the original choice for the female lead? The director recently himself revealed this at a pre-release event of Naga Chaitanya’s upcoming film Thandel, on Sunday.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s first choice for Arjun Reddy was Sai Pallavi

In a video from the event doing the rounds on X (formerly Twitter), Sandeep said he found a coordinator from Kerala, who he later learnt wasn't really one. The Animal director expressed his desire to cast Sai as the lead in his controversial romantic drama. 

The coordinator asked, “What is the romantic quotient in Arjun Reddy?” Sandeep replied, “It's more than what's usual in Telugu cinema.” The coordinator then advised him to “forget about” casting Sai, explaining, “The girl won't even wear sleeveless.”

Sandeep Reddy Vanga praises Sai Pallavi for her ethics

Sai smiled while sitting in the audience as Sandeep said with a grin, “Eventually, heroines will change over time based on opportunities. But to see Sai Pallavi not changing at all, it's great. It's really great actually." However, the internet did not appreciate Sandeep's initial idea. One X user commented, “Worst choice iyyedi.” Another added, “Others building carriers, Sai Pallavi building a Legacy (girl face emoji).”

Sandeep's directorial career began controversially yet successfully with Arjun Reddy, featuring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in lead roles. In 2019, he remade it in Hindi as Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani, which also became a blockbuster. Sandeep’s next project, Spirit, stars Prabhas.

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Updated 13:18 IST, February 3rd 2025