Not Shraddha Kapoor but another Bollywood actress was the first choice to play female lead in Prabhas' Saaho? Here is what we know

. It was Prabhas' first Hindi movie and Shraddha Kapoor's first Telugu movie.

Baahubali was a huge success, making Prabhas a global star and everyone was excited to see what he would do next. Sujeeth directed and UV Creations and T-Series then made Saaho, the high-octane action thriller. The movie was shot in both Telugu and Hindi at the same time. It was Prabhas' first Hindi movie and Shraddha Kapoor's first Telugu movie. But it's interesting that Shraddha wasn't the first choice for the part.

Reports say that the producers first asked Alia Bhatt to play the female lead opposite Prabhas. Karan Johar, who sent the Hindi version of Baahubali to other countries, is said to have made the suggestion.

But Alia turned down the offer because she thought the role wasn't deep enough and didn't give her enough screen time. At that point in her career, Alia was leaning toward roles that required her to perform, so she didn't want to play a part that felt less important than the hero.

An insider in the business said that Alia was focused on creating a unique space with strong, memorable characters. Her family fully supported her decision not to take on a role that was mostly a supporting act because it didn't fit with her vision.

The move clearly helped her, since Alia went on to give great performances in well-reviewed movies like Raazi, Udta Punjab, Gully Boy, Darlings, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Jigra. In the meantime, Shraddha Kapoor made her Telugu debut in the action-packed movie Saaho.

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It's interesting that Shraddha got her start in Tollywood with Saaho, but Alia's first Telugu movie was the worldwide hit RRR, directed by S.S. Rajamouli. She played Sita opposite Ram Charan, and Rajamouli later said that he chose her because he needed an actress who could stand up to Charan and Jr. NTR—someone who was innocent but strong.

Alia will be working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali again in the future on Love and War, which will also star Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Prabhas, on the other hand, has an exciting list of movies coming up, such as Fauji, The Raaja Saab, Spirit, and the sequels to Salaar and Kalki.