THIS Flop Tollywood Hero Was First Choice for Arjun Reddy
Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga made a powerful debut in 2017 with Arjun Reddy, a romantic drama that quickly became a cult classic. The film, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey, is still widely discussed for its raw emotion and intense storytelling. However, in a surprising recent revelation, actor Manchu Manoj shared that he was originally offered the lead role in the film.
In an interview, Manchu Manoj explained that back in 2013, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga had narrated the script of Arjun Reddy to him. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, he could not accept the role. Manoj expressed regret about missing the opportunity to work with such a visionary director and mentioned that he hopes to collaborate with Sandeep in the future.
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Arjun Reddy was met with mixed reviews upon release. Some praised its unique storytelling and powerful performances, while others criticized its portrayal of aggression and male dominance. Despite the controversy, the film became a trendsetter in Telugu cinema.
The success of Arjun Reddy led to its remakes in other languages. In 2019, the film was remade in Hindi as Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani. This version was also a commercial hit. In Tamil, it was remade twice—first as Adithya Varma with Dhruv Vikram and Banita Sandhu, and again as Varmaa, with Dhruv reprising his role opposite Megha Chowdhury.
Even though Vijay Deverakonda wasn’t the initial choice, his performance in Arjun Reddy became a career-defining moment. His intense portrayal of a heartbroken surgeon earned him massive praise and a loyal fan base.
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