PremiumAnimal was first offered to Mahesh Babu? Sandeep Reddy Vanga breaks silence on the rumours
Animal, as per rumors, was first offered to Mahesh Babu and he chose not to do it
Last Updated: 04.08 PM, Dec 21, 2023
Even as Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki hits the big screen today, the buzz around Animal is still very loud and refusing to fade. The Ranbir Kapoor starrer has achieved as much in a fortnight as many tentpole films don’t manage to in their lifetimes. While the movie is the hottest topic of discussion, and the audience is divided, one thing everyone agrees on is that Ranbir is in top form in terms of his performance. But, did you know that there were once rumors that not him but Mahesh Babu was the first choice for this role?
Sandeep Reddy Vanga has now decided to shun those rumors and clarify that it was always Ranbir and no one else he had in mind for Animal. The rumors suggested that the role of Ranvijay in Animal was earlier offered to Mahesh Babu before it came to Ranbir Kapoor. However, now the director, clarifying the same, has put this hanging speculation to rest.
Talking to India Today, Sandeep Reddy Vanga said, "Ranbir was my first choice for 'Animal', there was nobody else. In the beginning, when I had the idea right after 'Kabir Singh', I met him after a few months and told Ranbir that I was thinking along these lines. I gave him 10-15 minutes of narration, just the beginning, middle, and end. We told him about the craft and just the character transition. He said, 'Sandeep, this sounds very interesting. Finish the script and we will do it.' Just based on the 10 minutes narration he said yes to the film.”
Further elaborating on how only Ranbir Kapoor had the potential to step into Animal character Ranvijay’s shoes, Sandeep Reddy Vanga added, “I don't know why, but when I went deep into the scenes and treatment and the journey of the story, he was the only guy in my mind. Involuntarily and unknowingly it was a customized story for him. He was just fitting into the scenes when I was writing.”
Animal stars Ranbir Kapoor alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Shakti Kapoor, and an ensemble. The movie was released on December 1 and has broken many box office records, with the international collection crossing a record Rs 800 crores. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.
