Prithviraj: Here’s how Sunny Deol lost out on the lead role

Just a couple of days ago, Yash Raj Films hosted a grand trailer launch for the Akshay Kumar – Manushi Chhillar starrer Prithviraj. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, the historical drama has been making headlines since its announcement. Now as we near the release of the film, We have learnt that Akshay was not the first choice; instead, the film’s director was considering Sunny Deol the lead the cast!

Sharing details on the casting of the film, an industry source reveals, “Sunny Deol was Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s first choice for the role of Prithviraj Chauhan. When they were shooting Mohalla Assi in Varanasi five years ago, Dwivedi and Deol had long discussions on Prithivraj.” Revealing further, the source continues, “In their discussions Dwivedi and Deol covered a lot of topics about the film and the character, from what the final look and feel should be to the character’s dialect and mannerisms. They had even discussed the look and voice-quality of the character.”

When asked, the source revealed the reason Dwivedi opted to forgo Sunny Deol in the lead for Prithviraj. “Everything was on track with Sunny leading the cast. Then, with Yash Raj Films entering the picture, things changed. As per the YRF mandate, they wanted a more saleable hero than Sunny Deol, who also comes with a proven record of accomplishment. It was this decision that ultimately led to Deol being replaced.”

As for the film, Prithviraj directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi and backed by Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films is set to release in theatres on June 3, 2022 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood and Manav Vij in pivotal roles.