Pokiri: Not Mahesh Babu And Ileana D'Cruz But These Stars Were The First Choice For The Film

Pokiri, one of the highest-earning films of Mahesh Babu, completed 18 years on April 28 since its release on the same date in 2006. The film opened to positive reviews and later was remade in Tamil and Hindi, which too were blockbusters at the box office. The Telugu action drama, directed by Puri Jagannadh, also starred Ileana D'Cruz in the lead role. The film made on a modest budget of ₹12 crore went on to earn ₹70 crore at the global box office. But, did you know Mahesh Babu and Ileana were not the first choice of the makers of the film?

Who were the original choice for the 2006 film Pokiri?

Puri Jagannadh wanted to cast Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja in the lead role for his film Pokiri. For the female lead, the filmmaker had actress Deepika Padukone in his mind. While Ravi Teja, who is senior to Mahesh Babu, couldn't manage time for the film, Deepika Padukone got busy with her Bollywood debut film Om Shanti Om after her acting debut in Kannada film Aishwarya, both having released in the same year as Pokiri.

Due to the unavailability of both actors, the makers then roped in Mahesh Babu who was then 11 films old, and Ileana D'Cruz who had just started her career with three films including her debut film releasing in the same year - 2006. The movie upon its release became a smash hit, establishing newcomer Ileana in the Telugu film industry and boosting Mahesh Babu's craze in the state.

Other interesting facts about the Mahesh Babu starrer

With Ravi Teja in Jagannadh's mind for the film, it was initially titled Uttam Singh S/O Suryanarayana. There is also an interesting story behind why Mahesh Babu's character was named Pandu. According to Gulte, the name Pandu was derived from Puri Jagannadh's wife, whom the filmmaker addressed as Pandu.

What is Pokiri all about?

The film revolves around Pandu (Mahesh Babu), a local goon, whose killer instincts earn him not only his girlfriend's disapproval and a corrupt cop's enmity but also the attention of a wanted crime boss. The film was later remade in Tamil starring Thalapathy Vijay as Pokkiri (2007), in Hindi starring Salman Khan as Wanted (2009), and in Kannada starring Darshan Thoogudeepa as Porki (2010). All the remakes had an exceptional run at their respective box office.