Sandeep Reddy Vanga Initially Preferred Ranveer Singh for Kabir Singh, Expresses Apprehension About Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Track Record’
Did you know not Shahid Kapoor, but Ranveer Singh was the first choice for the Hindi adaptation of Arjun Reddy? Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who helmed both films, revealed in an interview with iDream Media that he approached Ranveer Singh first for Kabir Singh. However, Ranveer rejected the film and Shahid came on board.
Ranveer Singh was being pitched for Kabir Singh
Sandeep Reddy Vanga shared that after his film Arjun Reddy became a huge hit, he went to Mahesh Babu for his second film. But as Mahesh Babu has signed another film, the filmmaker decided to make a Hindi version of Arjun Reddy. He said, “I was continuously getting calls from Mumbai to do the remake. First, it was pitched to Ranveer Singh. I wanted to do it with him. But finally, he decided he will not do it, because it was too dark for him at that time.” He also added that he thought the remake would also not work out. Hence he focused on a different Telugu film.
Shahid Kapoor’s track record was a concern
In the same conversation, Sandeep Reddy Vanga also shared that if Kabir Singh hadn’t worked, it would have been a ‘big shame’ for him, following the success of his first film. He said Shahid was offered the role after Ranveer rejected it. “Shahid’s track record was a concern; none of his solo films had done ₹100 crore then, his highest was ₹65 crore. They used to say ₹55 crore, ₹65 crore is the kind of business Telugu movies do. ‘Why are you doing it with this guy? If it was Ranveer, the box office would be higher’. But I was always sure about Shahid, he’s a fantastic actor,” he said.
Much like Arjun Reddy, Kabir Singh was also a blockbuster amid mixed reviews from critics. Starring Shahid alongside Kiara Advani, the film grossed around ₹380 crore globally, shared the director.
Upcoming project
He is currently waiting for the release of his next, Animal. It has Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. It will release in cinemas on December 1.
Disclaimer: Except the headline and synopsis, this story has been taken from the HT News Service.