Srushti Dange replaces Nikki in Major Ravi's war drama

The cast of Major Ravi's Mohanlal-starrer

1971: Beyond Borders

has been much talked about as the director has picked and chosen actors from all over the South and even Bollywood.

It also marks the debut of Telugu actor Allu Sirish in Malayalam, as a tank commander. While it was reported earlier that Nikki Galrani will be playing Allu Sirish's love interest in the movie, the director tells us that it was actually actress Srushti Dange who did the part. 'The character is that of a Tamil speaking rural girl and Srushti fit the bill. She is originally a Marathi actress but has been part of several hit films in Tamil including two of Vijay Sethupathy's films. She speaks Tamil fluently,' he says. For some reason, fan-made posters of the film are coming out with Nikki Galrani and he wants to clear the air for good, adds the director.

Meanwhile, Srushti tells us, 'I am glad to debut in Malayalam that too in a Mohanlal film. I play a Tamil girl as Allu's counterpart. My scenes come in the flashback portions of the movie. My friends had told me that it would be really tough to work with Major Ravi sir as he is very strict. But I found the shoot very relaxed,' she says.

The Mumbai-based actress, who is popular for her performance in Tamil films such as Dharma Durai and Yudham Sei had her portions shot in Pollachi.