A script's destined hero

Filmmakers write a script with a certain actor in mind. But in most cases, the choice isn’t what they finally zero in on. Most of the times, one’s loss turns out to be another’s gain. A look at such cases

Just imagine Pawan Kalyan playing Nandu in ‘Athadu’. Though it would be a tough thing to do as we all loved Mahesh Babu in the role, the fact is that it was Pawan who got was first narrated the story by director Trivikram.

This was revealed by the actor himself at the audio launch of ‘Attarintiki Daaredhi’ in 2013. “After ‘Johnny’, I wasn’t really in a good space. It was at that time that Trivikram narrated a story to me and I fell asleep!” shared Pawan Kalyan.

And though we could say that Mahesh was offered what Pawan didn’t fancy, it would be an understatement to say that the former’s career got an impetus with the actioner laced with family emotions. However, this is only one of several such casting feats that keep happening in the industry.

Pawan is definitely one actor who has let go of several roles and it is a matter of irony that almost all of them went on to become big hits. ‘Itlu Sravani Subrahmanyam’, ‘Idiot’, ‘Pokiri’, ‘Amma, Nanna O Tamil Ammayi’, ‘Mirapakay’ and ‘Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu’ are some films that were offered to him first. Ravi Teja has turned out to be biggest beneficiary of Pawan letting go some scripts.

While we talk about Pawan Kalyan, there is one film that went to Ravi Teja before it reached the former – ‘Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu’. Director Puri Jagganadh narrated the script to Ravi Teja who loved it but felt that it would work better if an actor with a higher reach would play Rambabu. And now we know who was approached next.Well, it seems what works for one doesn’t really catch the eye of another.

A director selects a hero to play the lead after great consideration. And director Boyapati Sreenu felt Allu Arjun will be apt to play his ‘Bhadhra’. “He liked the story immensely but his father felt that it wouldn’t go with his romantic image. Allu Aravind assured that he will produce the film on Geetha Arts if I don’t find a producer. Nonetheless, Bunny took me to Dil Raju and the rest is history,” said Boyapati Sreenu.

On that note, another film would see Allu Arjun in the lead but saw a last minute change was director Sukumar’s ‘Jagadam’. Allu Aravind reportedly felt that the role was too much of a deviation from the image of Bunny. And just a day before the film’s muhurat, the actor pulled out and Ram stepped into his colleagues shoes.

More recently, Nithiin-starrer ‘Heart Attack’ was to be the debut of mega family actor Varun Tej. Puri Jagganadh even wrote the character keeping him in mind and that’s the reason the lead character’s name was Varun.

Finally, another film that comes to mind on this note is ‘Pataas’. Anil Ravipudi, director of the film revealed that when Kalyan Ram (who played the lead) heard the story, he felt that his brother NTR should play the role of the corrupt cop. “But I told him that he would best suit the role,” said Anil.

Even before that, the film’s script had rested in Suresh Babu’s office for Rana to consider it for a really long period but the actor couldn’t do it as he was committed to ‘Baahubali’ and ‘Rudhramadevi’. Like they say every grain has the name of the eater written on it, guess every script has a pre-destined hero too!

- with inputs from Nagaraj Goud

By Pranita Jonnalagedda