It’s all about the role

After the big success of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), Vicky Kaushal and director Aditya Dhar’s second collaboration, The Immortal Ashwatthama, has been making news since its announcement. While Samantha has reportedly been brought on board opposite Vicky, we’re now learning why Sara Ali Khan, the first choice for the mytho-thriller-drama, opted out. When the film was being planned, Sara was to play leading lady (Sara to be cast opposite Vicky in The Immortal Ashwatthama, November 27, 2020). However, after the budget was reworked and the screenplay rewritten, it not only impacted the shooting schedules, but also the character of the female lead. After reviving the magnum opus with a slashed budget, the makers felt that the re-imagined character demanded an older actor instead of Sara. Things fell in place as she had also allotted her dates to other projects. While Aditya is said to begin filming early next year, producers have reportedly spent quite a few crores on pre-production.

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