Not Shahid Kapoor, THIS actor was Sandeep Reddy Vanga's first choice for Kabir Singh

In a recent interview, Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga opened up about his first preference for the role of Kabir Singh in the Hindi adaptation of the film Arjun Redddy. He also stated that since the first actor rejected the film, it went onto Shahid.

Hyderabad: Before Shahid Kapoor, it was Ranveer Singh who was approached to star in the Hindi adaptation of Arjun Reddy. Interestingly, Ranveer Singh was Sandeep Reddy Vanga's initial preference for Kabir Singh, as he expressed concerns about Shahid Kapoor's "track record". The filmmaker revealed that he first approached Ranveer Singh for the role in Kabir Singh. However, Ranveer declined the offer, leading Shahid Kapoor to take on the project.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga also mentioned that after the tremendous success of his film Arjun Reddy, he intended to collaborate with Mahesh Babu for his second venture. Unfortunately, as the actor had already committed to another film, Vanga decided to create a Hindi version of Arjun Reddy. He stated, "I was constantly receiving calls from Mumbai to remake the film. Initially, it was pitched to Ranveer Singh and I had hoped to work with him. However, he ultimately declined due to it being too dark for his taste at that time."

During the conversation, Vanga mentioned that had Kabir Singh not been successful, it would have been a disappointment for him, considering the triumph of his debut film. He stated that Shahid Kapoor was offered the role after Ranveer's rejection. "Shahid's box office performance was a concern; none of his solo films had crossed Rs 100 crore at that time. His highest earning was Rs 65 crore. People used to say that Rs 55 crore or Rs 65 crore was the kind of business Telugu movies did. They questioned why I chose Shahid instead of Ranveer, who has a higher box office pull. But I always had faith in Shahid; he is a brilliant actor," Vanga affirmed.

Much like Arjun Reddy, Kabir Singh achieved blockbuster status despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. Starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani, the film grossed approximately Rs 380 crore worldwide, according to the director. Vanga is currently anticipating the release of his next project, Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on December 1st.