Sandeep Reddy Vanga Wanted To Cast Sai Pallavi In Arjun Reddy, But Was Told ‘She Won’t Even Wear Sleeveless…’
At Thandel pre-release event, Sandeep Reddy Vanga revealed that Sai Pallavi was the original choice for his 2017 film Arjun Reddy. The film starred Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga made his directing debut with the 2017 Telugu film ‘Arjun Reddy’, which was a massive hit. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in the lead roles. But did you know Sai Pallavi was the original choice for the female lead in the film? Yes, you read that right. The director himself revealed this at a pre-release event of Sai Pallavi and Naga Chaitanya’s upcoming film ‘Thandel’, on Sunday.
In a video that has now gone viral on X (previously Twitter), filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga is seen on stage at the Thandel pre-release event, talking about how he wanted to cast Sai Pallavi in Arjun Reddy. He said that he found a coordinator from Kerala, who he later learnt wasn’t really one. “I spoke to him saying that I have a story about a guy who is destroyed in love. It’s a very romantic story also. I want to cast Sai Pallavi as a heroine in my film. He said, ‘What is the romantic quotient in Arjun Reddy?’ I said, ‘It is more than what we usually see in Telugu cinema’. He said, ‘Sir, forget about it. The girl will not even wear sleeveless. Forget about it,’" said Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
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Sai Pallavi was seen smiling at this. Sandeep Reddy Vanga then added that eventually, actresses will change over a period of time, based on opportunities. “But to see Sai Pallavi not changing at all, it’s great. It’s really great actually," he said. The video has gone viral on social media. Check it out below.
SP pic.twitter.com/JhTwOD5h9V— Absolute KCPD (@AbsoluteKCPD) February 2, 2025
Arjun Reddy, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey, received critical acclaim, but was also criticized by many for promoting toxic masculinity. Despite the criticism, it was a huge success at the box office. The film was later adapted into Hindi in 2019 by Vanga as ‘Kabir Singh’. It stars Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani in the lead roles, and also emerged as a blockbuster.
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