Sikandar impacts Rashmika Spirit

Prabhas' high octane action entertainer Spirit to be helmed by Sandeep Vanga has been capturing the imagination of all. Sandeep Vanga is set to show Prabhas in the role of the most violent and powerful police officer.

Till recently, reports came that Sandeep Reddy Vanga planned to rope in National Crush Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead as she was on a success run with blockbusters like Pushpa first and second part, Animal and Chhaava. However she got a huge shock in form of Salman Khan's Sikandar.

Now inside talk is Rashmika is out of Spirit. Speaking to scribes, “She was almost a sure shot for the role opposite Prabhas,” reveals a producer, “but the underperformance of Sikandar at the box office has dented her chances.” He adds candidly, “These days, commercial success often trumps talent when it comes to casting big-league heroines.”

The source adds “Sandeep has crafted a powerful love story within this high-octane action flick. Given the film’s massive budget—over ₹200 crore—and its backing by a major Bollywood production house, the team was open to offering Rashmika a hefty ₹4 crore-plus paycheck,” the source says. “But they might now consider other top-tier actresses for the part.”

The source concludes “There’s always room for last-minute changes. Rashmika still has an edge—she has dates available from June and continues to enjoy the tag of the ‘national crush.’ Things could still swing her way,”