Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal and Akshaye Khanna were not the 'first choice' of the makers?

Chhaava has stirred significant excitement among the audience and emerged as a box-office sensation. The stellar performances of the ensemble cast including Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Rashmika Mandanna, Vineet Kumar Singh, Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta and Diana Penty have mesmerised the audience. However, did you know that Vicky Kaushal and Akshaye Khanna were not the first choice of the makers?

Not Vicky Kaushal, Mahesh Babu Was First Choice For Sambhaji Maharaj?

Vicky Kaushal's powerful character portrayal of second Maratha Emporer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj has mesmerised the audience. His impressive performance has earned widespread acclaim and made the viewers emotional.

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However, according to certain reports, Vicky was not the first choice of the makers for playing Chhaava. As claimed by a Telugu News portal, helmer Laxman Utekar first approached Telugu Superstar Mahesh Babu to essay the role of Shambhuraje. However, he turned down the offer as he was not interested in playing the role. After waiting for years, Utekar narrated it to Vicky Kaushal and the Sam Bahadur actor immediately gave his nod.

Well, Vicky Kaushal flawlessly pulled the character within himself. However, there is no official confirmation backing the claims of Mahesh Babu being the first choice of the makers.

Another report by a Telugu portal stated that the claims of Mahesh Babu being approached for Chhaava is utterly baseless. Utekar never approached the Telugu Superstar and Vicky was always his first choice.

Anil Kapoor Was First Choice For Aurangzeb, Not Akshaye Khanna!

Akshaye Khanna looks unrecognisable as Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In long grey locks with a goatee-like beard, kohl eyes, and regal long robes, Akshaye Khanna's stunning transformation left many shocked. Soon after the first look of the actor was released, the internet heaped praises on him. But, did you know that he was allegedly not the first choice for the role?

According to a report by ETimes published on October 9, 2023, Anil Kapoor was first approached to play Aurangzeb's role.

The report quoted an anonymous source as saying, "The team has already approached Anil Kapoor to play Aurangzeb, they are yet to sign the dotted lines. If things fall in place, Anil Kapoor will surely lock horns with Vicky Kaushal in the film."

Well, Kapoor was then busy shooting for Fighter, also starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone.

Akshaye Khanna's fierce avatar as the ruthless Mughal Emperor in Chhaava is chilling, menacing, restrained and impressive.

Rashmika Mandanna Fails as Maharani Yesubai!

Rashmika Mandanna played the role of Maharani Yesubai, the wife of Sambhaji in Chhaava. However, she failed to impress a section of the audience. While her expressions and 'expressive eyes' were commendable, he dialogue delivery as a Maratha Queen was majorly criticised. Being a South actress, she sounded more like a South Indian and her effort to speak 'Suddh Hindi' (pure Hindi) failed drastically.

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Laxman Utekar's historical period action drama Chhaava, based on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, has been scripting records with a successful box office run. The film is set to become the first release of 2025 to surpass the Rs 200 crore benchmark in its first week.