Let's take a look at all actors who have said no to 'Pushpa'
'Pushpa: The Rise,' starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, continues to perform well not just in Telugu, but also in the Hindi belt. The film is nearing the Rs 100 crore mark with collections of Rs 95 crore in a few days. The film benefited from the Pongal holidays in some parts of India. The film was released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam simultaneously in India and various parts of the world. Directed by Sukumar, the film also stars Fahadh Faasil, Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari, Sunil, Rao Ramesh, Dhananjaya, Anasuya Bhardwaj, Ajay and Ajay Ghosh.
For the unversed, there are several actors who were rejected to star in this blockbuster film. Let’s have a look at those actors here:
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Mahesh Babu
If reports are to be believed, director Sukumar wanted Mahesh Babu to play the titular role of Pushpa Raj, which was finally essayed by Allu Arjun. Yes, Pushpa, which earned praises from all quarters for its magnificent scale was initially offered to Mahesh Babu. However, the superstar rejected the role as he was not keen on getting a makeover and thought that playing a negative role can make things worse. The report claims that it was then the iconic role went to Allu Arjun.
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Samantha Ruth Prabhu
One of the most popular actresses down the South, Samantha Ruth Prabhu gained recognition in Hindi after starring in The Family Man 2. Did you know she rejected Sukumar’s 'Pushpa'? She was offered to play the role of Srivalli in the film which she gave up. It could have kept her game up. The role eventually went to Rashmika Mandanna. The movie became the highest grosser of 2021. However, Samantha was convinced to star in the special song "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava" and the rest is history.
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Nora Fatehi
The soft and sophisticated Samantha Ruth Prabhu broke the typecast when she did the special song "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava" in 'Pushpa: The Rise.' Bollywood's item queen Nora Fatehi could have shared the screen space with Allu Arjun. The media reports suggest that Nora has lost the project as she was demanding huge remuneration for working with Allu Arjun. Later, Samantha was seen shaking a leg in the song.
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Disha Patani
Disha Patani is one of the popular actresses in Bollywood. Disha once opened about her favourite dance in down South is Allu Arjun. Apparently, she had been approached to shake legs with Allu Arjun in 'Pushpa: The Rise,' but she turned down the offer due to multiple reasons. Sources say Samantha charged a huge amount of Rs 5 crore for "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava".
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Vijay Sethupathi
If rumours are to be believed, SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat IPS’ role was offered to Kollywood star Vijay Sethupathi. As the film was planned to be released in many languages, Vijay was approached for it. It is said that he rejected the film for reasons best known to him. The role was then offered to Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil. Good for Fahadh, he got to make her Tollywood debut as Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.
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