Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal is breaking records at the box office, having become the highest-grossing Indian A-rated film of all time. It’s cast, particularly Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol, have earned praises for their performances, while the film’s female lead Rashmika Mandanna also received positive response. However, Rashmika was not the first choice for the role. In fact, Parineeti Chopra had been cast in the role of Geetanjali and her name still exists in the official title announcement video.

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But Vanga eventually replaced Parineeti with Rashmika as he felt the former was not right for the role he had in mind. In a recent interview, the director opened up on that episode. Speaking with trade analyst Komal Nahta, Vanga said that when he revealed to Parineeti about his choice, she was upset but eventually understood the rationale behind the decision. “Actually, galati mera hi hai (the mistake is mine). I said, ‘Ho sake toh maaf karo mujhe (forgive me if you can).’,” Vanga said.

The director added that he had signed Parineeti over a year before the film went on floor but changed his mind later. He elaborated, “I signed her one and a half years before the shoot and for some reason, I didn’t see Geetanjali in her. Kuch kuch characters kuch kuch logo ko set nahi hota hai (It happens with some characters and some people).” The director did stress that all was well between him and Parineeti after all this though and the actress was pretty understanding.

Animal, a revenge drama, has been called one of the most violent Indian films ever. Starring Ranbir, Bobby, Rashmika, Anil Kapoor, and Triptii Dimri, the film has grossed over Rs 900 crore worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing Indian film of the year. A sequel titled Animal Park has been announced.