Pooja Hegde was initially set to star opposite Mahesh Babu in “Guntur Kaaram,” but the role eventually went to Sreeleela, who was initially cast as a parallel lead. Despite being part of the hefty Sankranthi lineup, the Trivikram Srinivas directorial, released on January 12, underperformed for a Mahesh Babu starrer. According to reports, it earned 126.62 crores domestically and 180.5 crores worldwide.
Pooja Hegde had filmed a brief segment for “Guntur Kaaram” before bowing out due to scheduling conflicts. Pictures from her time on set, including candid frames with Sreeleela and Mahesh Babu, have surfaced online, leaving fans curious about the film’s alternate outcome with Pooja in the lead.
Following Pooja’s exit, Sreeleela was promoted from the second female lead to the main lead. Meenakshi Choudhary took over Sreeleela’s original role. The reason behind Pooja’s departure was a scheduling conflict with her commitments for another Hindi film. Producer Naga Vamsi explained the decision, stating they initially aimed for an August release but later rescheduled to January 12, 2024, leading to the replacement.
