Pawan Kalyan Was First Choice for Vedalam Remake Before Bholaa Shankar
Producer AM Rathnam reveals Pawan Kalyan was the first choice for the Telugu remake of Vedalam, which later starred Chiranjeevi in Bholaa Shankar.
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Powerstar Pawan Kalyan was originally in talks to headline the Telugu remake of Tamil blockbuster Vedalam, producer AM Rathnam revealed during a press interaction for Hari Hara Veera Mallu. This revelation sheds new light on the journey of Bholaa Shankar, which eventually starred Chiranjeevi and failed to meet expectations at the box office.
According to Rathnam, following films like Kushi and Bangaram, there were early discussions with Pawan Kalyan about a project titled Satyagrahi, to be directed by the actor himself. Although the project did not take off, plans to remake Vedalam with Kalyan were soon proposed.
The senior producer stated that the political commitments of Pawan Kalyan delayed the remake. During that period, Kalyan suggested that Rathnam’s son, Jyothi Krishna, helm the project. However, Krishna was already tied up with Oxygen, a film starring Gopichand, leading to a shelving of the plan.
Eventually, Vedalam was remade as Bholaa Shankar with Chiranjeevi in the lead and Meher Ramesh directing. The film failed to make an impact both critically and commercially.
Currently, Jyothi Krishna has taken charge of directing Hari Hara Veera Mallu, and Rathnam noted that his work has impressed Pawan Kalyan. The collaboration marks a fresh chapter for the trio, years after the Vedalam remake proposal.
