Venky Atluri reveals Sir/Vaathi was first offered to Ravi Teja before Dhanush

Ravi Teja was the first choice for Sir Vaathi

In a recent promotional video for their upcoming film Mass Jathara, directors Venky Atluri and Bhanu Bogavarapu shared a light-hearted and heartfelt moment with star Ravi Teja that offered fans an unexpected peek behind the scenes of one of Telugu cinema’s biggest recent hits — Sir/Vaathi.

As they spoke fondly about Ravi’s down-to-earth nature, Venky revealed that Sir, which went on to become a hit with Dhanush in the lead, was actually first offered to Ravi.

“Actually, I pitched Sir to him first,” Venky recalled with a smile. “He said, ‘Venky, I’m a little busy. Will you be able to wait? If not, I will not force you to do so.’ Within 2–3 months of that, I was able to bring Dhanush on board. When I told Ravi anna this, he asked me not to think twice because he’s a superb actor.”

Ravi, clearly amused, nudged Venky to share what happened after the film came out. Venky laughed and added, “Afterwards, anna called me and said the film was good. But I would not have played it (the lead role) the same way.”

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At this point, Ravi interrupted with his trademark honesty and said, “Nenu asalu bagonu ani feeling naku.” (No, I don’t think I would’ve suited the film at all). He admitted that while Venky felt he could’ve brought a different energy to the role, he genuinely believed Dhanush was the perfect fit.

Venky, who is well-known for romantic dramas like Rang De, Mr. Majnu, and Tholi Prema, shocked many with the change in tone in Sir/Vaathi, a socially conscious movie that exposes the shortcomings of the Indian educational system.

His latest outing, Lucky Baskhar, a financial thriller starring Dulquer Salmaan, was also a success. He’s currently working on a new project with Tamil superstar Suriya.

Ravi Teja, meanwhile, is gearing up for the release of Mass Jathara on 31 October, co-starring Sreeleela. Though his 2024 releases Eagle and Mr Bachchan didn’t quite hit the mark, his energy and sincerity continue to endear him to fans.

Dhanush, last seen in Kuberaa and Idly Kadai, is now filming Tere Ishk Mein with Aanand L Rai and another untitled project with Vignesh Raja.