Vanga wanted to cast Sai Pallavi in Arjun Reddy, was told to forget about it: ‘The girl won’t even wear sleeveless’

Do you know Sai Pallavi was the original choice for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2017 directorial debut Arjun Reddy? The filmmaker revealed so at a pre-release event of her upcoming film, Chandoo Mondeti’s romantic drama Thandel, on Sunday.

What Sandeep said
In a video from the event doing the rounds on X, Sandeep said he found a coordinator from Kerala, who he later learnt wasn’t really one. Sandeep asked him that he wanted to cast Sai as the leading lady in his controversial romantic drama. The coordinator asked him, “What is the romantic quotient in Arjun Reddy?,” to which Sandeep responded, “It’s more than what’s usual in Telugu cinema.” The coordinator then told Sandeep to “forget about” casting Sai in the film because “the girl won’t even wear sleevelss.”

Arjun Reddy marked a controversial yet successful start to Sandeep’s directorial career. It starred Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in lead roles. It was later adapted into Hindi in 2019 by Sandeep as Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani. That film also turned out to be a blockbuster. Sandeep is next directing Spirit with Prabhas.

About Thandel
Thandel, starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, is directed by Chandoo Mondeti. The story revolves around the experience of the fishermen, who accidentally drifted into Pakistani waters during one of their trips. The film boasts of a sound technical crew. Music is by National Award-winning composer Devi Sri Prasad, cinematography by Shamdat and editing by National Award-winning Naveen Nooli.

Produced by Bunny Vasu under the prestigious Geetha Arts banner, with Allu Aravind presenting it, Thandel marks Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s second on-screen project, following their hit film Love Story. The film will be released in cinemas on February 7.