Not Fahadh Faasil, this actor was the first choice to play Bhanwar Singh Shekawat in Allu Arjun's Pushpa
Sukumar took five years to make the Pushpa films—Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and Pushpa 2: The Rule (2025). The characters played by Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil are so deeply embedded that it's hard to imagine anyone else in their place now. However, in an interview with M9 News, Nara Rohith claimed that he was the first choice for the role of Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. (Also Read: Alia Bhatt would love to work with Fahadh Faasil after Roshan Mathew: 'He was unreal in Aavesham')
When asked if it's true that he was approached for Fahadh's role in Pushpa, Rohith confirmed it and said, 'I posted some pictures with a moustache during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ravi (Shankar) garu spoke to me first, as did Sukumar garu. Then the span of the film changed, and they wanted Fahadh. But initially, they did speak to me.'
Rohith reveals that while he was interested in the role, he doesn't know if he could've played Bhanwar as well as Fahadh did. He said, 'I don't know if I could've played the character like he did. Maybe, if I were on that set, I could've vibed and done it. But after seeing Fahadh, I was like, okay. That was terrific, actually.'
In the Pushpa films, Bhanwar plays Arjun's titular character's arch nemesis, a police officer who is casteist and wants to bring down the red sanders smuggling ring at any cost. Fahadh himself, though, didn't seem that impressed by the role when he told Film Companion in 2024, 'I don't think Pushpa did anything for me. I told Sukumar Sir that. I don't have to hide it. I have to be honest.'
Rohith took a break from acting after the 2018 film Veera Bhoga Vasantha Rayalu. The film tanked at the box office and was a massive failure. In 2024, he made a comeback with Prathinidhi 2. The same year, he got engaged to his co-star from the film, Siree Lella. He will soon star in Sundarakanda and Bhairavam.
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