There has been plenty of speculation around Korean superstar Don Lee being part of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. The rumors became so strong that many fans started expecting Don Lee to play the villain opposite Prabhas. That speculation can now be put to rest.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s brother and producer Pranay Reddy Vanga has clarified that Don Lee is not part of Spirit. Speaking in an interview with NTV, he revealed that the team did consider casting the Korean star, but the idea was eventually dropped.
Interestingly, budget was not the reason. Pranay said the team seriously considered Don Lee after seeing the massive social media hype around the possibility. However, they eventually felt that bringing a South Korean actor into a story set in a local Hyderabad backdrop would not feel natural.
The decision was therefore more about the character and setting than the actor’s popularity or remuneration.
In other words, even though Don Lee could have added huge international appeal to Spirit, the makers did not want to force a casting choice simply because it would generate hype.
There is another interesting casting change that Pranay revealed. Prakash Raj is also no longer part of Spirit.
The veteran actor was initially associated with the project and had even lent his voice to the announcement audio teaser, which made fans believe he would have an important role in the film. However, Pranay confirmed that things did not work out between the actor and the team, and they eventually parted ways.
