Over the past few years, Fahadh Faasil has quietly built a strong fan base among Telugu audiences. During the COVID period, several of his Malayalam films were widely watched on OTT platforms.
Even though he played the villain opposite Allu Arjun in Pushpa 1 and Pushpa 2, many fans felt he did not get the kind of powerful role he truly deserved. After Pushpa, he was careful about choosing the right script.
For some time, there was strong buzz that Fahadh would play an important role in a new film starring Venkatesh, directed by Anil Ravipudi. Reports suggested that Anil personally narrated the full script to Fahadh and that the actor liked it. Talks were said to be in the final stages, and an official announcement was expected soon.
However, things have now taken a shocking turn. Due to remuneration issues, Fahadh is reportedly no longer part of the project. It is being said that he quoted around Rs. 10 crores, which the makers found way above the film’s budget. As a result, the team has reportedly finalized Karthi for the role instead. Karthi was always the first choice according to reports but then makers thought Fahadh would be better. Now they have taken a U-Turn and came back to their original choice after Fahadh’s exit.
This has disappointed a section of fans who were excited to see Fahadh in a proper Telugu commercial entertainer. While Telugu audiences have mostly seen him in negative roles, those familiar with his Malayalam work know about his excellent comic timing and versatility. Many believed he would have blended perfectly into Anil Ravipudi’s universe.
On the other hand, Karthi is a fine actor who recently impressed in Sathyam Sundaram. It will be interesting to see how he fits into Anil Ravipudi’s over-the-top and quirky style of storytelling.
For now, fans can only wait and see how this casting change shapes the project.
