Some actor pairings become iconic in the film industry while others never materialize. One such missed combination in Tollywood is Pawan Kalyan and Anushka Shetty. They never acted together in a full length film despite their immense popularity. Interestingly they had the chance to collaborate on two major projects but circumstances prevented it from happening.

Anushka Shetty was initially approached for a role in Pawan Kalyan’s 2006 film Bangaram. But she declined the offer because the role was too small. The character had a key moment in the climax, where the heroine boards a train and the hero reaches out to her. Though it was an important scene, Anushka felt it was not significant enough for her career at the time. As a result the role went to actress Trisha and she made cameo in the film.

The second missed opportunity was Vikramarkudu directed by SS Rajamouli. Originally film was planned for Pawan Kalyan and Anushka was set to play the female lead. But Pawan Kalyan chose not to take up the project for unknown reasons. Eventually Ravi Teja replaced him and the film became a massive success. Anushka’s performance was widely appreciated making it a crucial film in her career.

Had these projects worked out, Pawan Kalyan and Anushka Shetty could have been one of Tollywood’s most exciting on screen pairs. Even today, fans wonder how their chemistry would have looked if they had acted together.

Meanwhile Anushka is seen to be seen in Ghaati. This action crime drama directed by Krish Jagarlamudi who also directed Anushka’s Vedam. The film was produced by Yeduguru Rajeev Reddy and Saibabu Jagarlamudi under First Frame Entertainments and is presented by UV Creations. The movie is scheduled to hit the screens on 18 April 2025 in Telugu with dubbed versions in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.

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