Not Shruti Haasan, Prabhas' Salaar Was Set To Star The Raja Saab Actress?

Prabhas’ The Raja Saab is one of the most anticipated releases in Telugu cinema. Directed by Maruthi, the film is set to hit theatres on January 9, 2026. While the project marks Prabhas’ first foray into

the horror-comedy genre, it also serves as the Telugu debut of Tamil and Malayalam actressMalavika Mohanan. Ahead of the film’s release, the Malavika has expressed her excitement about being part of the project through several interviews and social media posts. In a recent interaction with a media portal, Malavika revealed that she was almost cast as the female lead in another Telugu film starring Prabhas.

Not Shruti Haasan, but Malavika Mohanan was set to star opposite Prabhas in Salaar

Salaar, one of 2023’s biggest blockbusters, featured Prabhas as Deva Raisaar—an invincible man striving to fulfil his mother’s wish by following the path of ahimsa. Shruti Haasan played Aadhya, a character who witnesses Deva unleash his action-hero persona while remaining curious about the mystery surrounding him. While Prabhas’ commanding screen presence was widely appreciated, Shruti Haasan’s performance and de-glam look also earned critical acclaim. However, it did you know that she was not the first choice for the role. It was Malavika Mohanan who was one of the choices for the film.

Malavika Mohanan recently revealed that she had received a call from director Prashanth Neel’s team regarding Salaar. She said, “A few months after Master released, I got a call saying Prashanth Neel is making a film with Prabhas and wanted to meet me. I did meet Prashanth sir, and everything went well, but somehow it didn’t work out. Now it has happened with The Raja Saab, and I am acting alongside Prabhas sir.” She described her first on-screen collaboration with Prabhas as “destiny.”

Speaking about her role in The Raja Saab, Malavika said, “Maruthi sir has told me that audiences will see me in several avatars in the film—Indian wear, glamorous outfits, songs, and more. I’m very happy that I got to do all this.”

The film is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad under the People Media Factory banner. The technical team includes cinematographer Karthik Palani, production designer Rajeevan, and editor Kotagiri Venkateshwara Rao. Other Telugu films slated for Sankranthi release include Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu, Nari Nari Naduma Murari, Anaganaga Oka Raju, and Bhartha Mahasayulaku Wigynapthi.