Venky Atluri on Sir: Not Dhanush but this Telugu star was first choice to play lead

Sir is Venky Atluri's biggest hits and had Dhanush as the main lead. But did you know, he was not Venky's first choice. Read to learn more.

Dhanush and Venky Atluri

Venky Atluri is one of the top directors in Telugu cinema as of now. His last film, Lucky Baskhar, featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary, ended as a massive hit at the box office. Before that film, he made a biggie with Dhanush titled Sir. The film ended as a big hit in Telugu and Tamil. But did you know that Dhanush was not the first choice to play the lead role in Sir?

Ravi Teja said no to Sir! Venky Atluri shares unknown backstory

Going into details, Bollywood star hero Ravi Teja is ready with his new film Mass Jathara, which hits the screens on October 31, 2025. As part of the film’s promotion, director Venky Atluri interviewed Ravi Teja and asked about various details of Mass Jathara. But one interesting conversation from the interview has gone viral, where Venky reveals that Dhanush was not the first choice to play the main lead in Sir.

The ace director reveals that he went to Ravi Teja first, and the latter loved the story but had plans of not doing it. “I narrated the script to Ravi Teja Garu, and he loved it very much, but at the same time, he stated that his image would not suit the film, and another actor should play the lead role. Three months down the line, I took the same script to Dhanush Sir, and he loved the character and okayed the film. I came back to Ravi Teja Sir and told him that Dhanush Sir was interested in doing the film, and he encouraged me not to wait for him and go ahead with Sir.”

Dhanush gave an award-winning performance in Sir, and Venky Atluri was highly appreciated for the way he narrated the social drama. In the same way, Venky says that Mass Jathara would bring Ravi Teja back into the game, as he knows the story and the second half of the film is going to be hilarious.

Venky Atluri is now directing Suriya for a Telugu biggie

As of now, Venky Atluri is busy directing Suriya for a biggie. The shooting of the film is happening at a brisk pace in Hyderabad, and the film is backed by the makers of DJ Tillu, Lucky Bhaskar, and Kingdom. Stay tuned for more updates on this project.

Also Read: As Nari Nari Naduma Murai locks Sankranthi 2025, Sharwa unveils his next, Biker

FAQs:

Q. Is Mass Jathara a cop drama?

A. Yes, it is a cop drama and Ravi Teja will be seen as a railway police office.

Q. Where to stream Mass Jathara on OTT?

A. You can stream the film on Netflix once the film is done in theaters

Q. Who is the producer of Mass Jathara?

A. Naga Vamsi and star director Trivikram Srinivas bankroll the film

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