Pushpa: The Rise, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, saw remarkable success in both the Telugu and Hindi markets. Notably, Allu Arjun made history by becoming the first Telugu actor to win a National Award for his outstanding performance in the film.
Interestingly, before the cast was finalized, several other actors were considered for key roles:
Initially, Sukumar had Mahesh Babu in mind for the role of Pushpa Raj, but Allu Arjun eventually took on the iconic character when Mahesh Babu declined, citing concerns about changing his appearance and portraying a negative character.
But Mahesh rejected the offer and that’s when Sukumar approached Allu Arjun. It is sure that rejection has costed him a lot. Also, audiences have expressed that nobody can beat Allu Arjun’s performing in this film.
Samantha was offered the role of Srivalli but declined, leading to Rashmika Mandanna's portrayal, which contributed to the film becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2021.
Samantha was also considered for a special song, Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava, initially intended for Bollywood's Nora Fatehi, who lost the opportunity due to her high payment demands. Samantha ultimately delivered the dance performance.
Disha Patani was approached to dance alongside Allu Arjun in the same song but declined for various reasons.
Initially, SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat IPS was considered for a role that Kollywood star Vijay Sethupathi eventually took on, although the reasons for Shekhawat's decline remain undisclosed.
