Is it all a destiny? Or is it a risk management failed? We don’t know what will be running in the minds of stars when they receive scripts from newbie directors. When an actor becomes a star then unknowingly he will create boundaries around restricting himself to newer possibilities. It has happened with every star and most of the times, it is unintentional and unplanned. Or sometimes, it is a planned rejection too owing to different reasons and situations. The stars turning down the movies becoming a huge success can be witnessed in every industry; from Hollywood to Bollywood. If we look at this then Kannada film industry is not an exception to it. Here we are with 10 films turned down by Kannada Stars which went to become huge hits.
Puneeth Rajkumar Rejected the Iconic Mungaru Male
When Yograj Bhatt approached Puneeth Rajkumar for a lead role in his flick titled Mungaru Male then he had to face the rejection. Today, Mungaru Male is a blockbuster movie and Yograj Bhatt is counted among the trendsetting directors of KFI. However, at that time he had two flops; Mani and Ranga SSLC. So, it was obvious for Puneeth but to everyone’s surprise, the movie went on to become a humungous hit giving birth to Ganesh as the Golden Star of KFI. Ironically, when Yograj Bhatt and Puneeth came together for Paramathma, the magic didn’t happen at the box-office but it was well-received by critics and the class audience.
Shiv Rajkumar Was Not the First Choice for the Legendary OM Movie
It was a time when Upendra had started working on the script. ‘Satya’ was the title he had in his mind and initially decided to cast ‘Kumar Govind’ in a lead role. As his previous movie ‘ssshhh’ was a success with Kumar Govind in the titular lead, the thought was obvious. Later on, as the script took a certain shape, Upendra decides to cast Shiv Raj Kumar and he says, “ I saw an intensity in Shivraj Kumar’s eyes and thought that he could give justice to a character like Satya.”
Here, it is apt to say that Upendra as a director rejected Kumar Govind and ended up choosing Shiv Rajkumar. Can you imagine OM without Shivanna? That’s why we call Upendra as ‘The Buddivantha’ of Kannada Cinema.
Recommended: 12 Unknown Facts and Behind The Scene Stories of OM Kannada Movie
Kiccha Sudeep / America America
We all have seen this movie directed by Nagatahalli Chandrashekar. It was a huge hit in the 90s which starred Ramesh Aravind, Akshay Anand in the lead roles. Do you know that a character named Shashank played by Akshay Anand was first offered to Kiccha? Can you imagine Sudeep and Ramesh Aravind sharing a screen space? But somehow, Sudeep missed the chance of making a debut through this cult film.
Other movies rejected by Sudeep: Jigartanda (Tamil), Tani Oruvan (Tamil), TZH (Hindi), Rai (multi-language), and many others.
The Dramatic Way of Kasturi Nivasa coming to Dr.Raj
Do you know that the Kasturi Nivasa script was originally written in Tamil? Yes, it was a Tamil script before, written for Shivaji Ganesan. Ironically, Shivaji Ganesan rejected to act in the film for a reason that there is a devastating end of a hero in the climax. Later on, Dorai Bhagwan (Kannada directors duo) bought the script and made Kasturi Nivasa in Kannada. With Dr.Raj’s mesmerizing performance, the film became a blockbuster. Interestingly, it got remade to Tamil again by Shivaji Ganesan titled Avandhan Manindhan.
Darshan / Kendasampige
Nenape Nithya Mallige, Manasu Kenda Sampige – this experimental movie directed by Duniya Suri was first approached to Darshan. Though Suri had given mega-hits in the past, he couldn’t get the dates of Darshan. So, later he went with a newbie actor named Rajesh with a lot of changes to the script. Thankfully, the movie went on to become a great hit.
Rakshith Shetty / Rangitaranga
It is said that Anup Bhandari had approached Rakshity Shetty for a lead role in Rangitaranga. Though Rakshith liked the script he couldn’t do it because of his commitments towards Ulidavaru Kandanthe. Later, it was done with Nirup Bhandary which went on to become a huge success.
Diganth / Lucia
We could not have got Neenasam Satish if Diganth was cast in Lucia. A classic cinema directed by Pawan Kumar, now known as Lucia Pawan was first approached to Diganth. The duo had given Lifu Ishtene earlier but due to schedule mismatch, Diganth lost the chance to be a part of Lucia.
Darshan / Jogi
If there is any Kannada movie that is worth mentioning after OM is none other than Dr. ShivaRajkumar starred Jogi. It is one of the biggest blockbusters of KFI directed by Prem who had made movies like Excuse me and Kariya before. Words fall flat to express the craze that this movie titled ‘Jogi’ had created. A movie that was released in 2005 broke all the records of that time to emerge as the full-fledged commix of class and mass elements.
It is said that if a movie does well in the Northern part of Karnataka then it can excel in every theatre, and Jogi was a real instance to it. Surprisingly, Prem had approached Darshan for Jogi owing to their previous hit Kariya. But, it seems that Jogi was not there in Darshan’s fate.
Lose Mada Yogi / Drama
It is said that Lose Mada Yogi was first approached to act in a movie titled Drama directed by Yograj Bhatt. Probably, Yogi was offered a role played by Neenasam Satish but again, due to dates problem, Yogi missed a chance to act with Rocking Star Yash.
Ananth Nag / Halu Jenu
Though it is hard to imagine Ananth Nag in place of Dr. Rajkumar in ‘Halu Jenu’, it was first written keeping Ananth Nag in mind. Later on, due to Ananth’s schedule, it went to Dr.Raj and he just nailed it to perfection.
Puneeth Rajkumar / Bhajrangi Bhaijaan
If you don’t know, Bhajrangi Bhaijan is produced by Rockline Venkatesh (Kannada) who wanted Puneeth in the lead role. Earlier in a press meet, he has revealed the fact that Puneeth had rejected for reasons unknown.
Offbeat: Rajnikanth / Nagarahaavu
A character played by Ambareesh was first offered to Rajnikanth. The iconic character which gave a turn to Ambareesh’s Cine career was not in his destiny. However, things rolled and today, when we say Ambareesh, Jaleela comes in front. Jaleela is a flirt who appears in a couple of scenes but leaves an unprecedented charm on the audience.
So, these were a few films turned down by Kannada Stars. Is it all a destiny? Or is it a risk management failed? Well, it is not about the right choice but it is about the timely choice made right.
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