Not Sunny Deol, But This South Superstar Was The First Choice For Jaat? Here’s What We Know

Did you know Sunny Deol wasn’t Gopichand Malineni’s first choice for Jaat? Details inside!

By
Rohan Verma
- April 30, 2025 | 6:27 PM IST
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Sunny Deol’s latest action-packed film, Jaat, took the audience by storm with its raw power and intense drama. After the success of Gadar 2, Deol once again cemented his place as a box-office powerhouse. However, not many know that Sunny Deol wasn’t the first actor considered for this role. Here’s the story behind the casting of Jaat.

A Tollywood Superstar Was Initially Set To Lead The Film

Before Sunny Deol was roped in as the lead, director Gopichand Malineni set his eyes on the much-loved Tollywood star Balakrishna. Following Krack’s success, Malineni spoke to Nandamuri Balakrishna about the Jaat script, and the actor accepted the role in the first instance.

But after Akhanda, Balakrishna reviewed his career graph. He sensed that the audience’s expectations had changed and that they would welcome a darker faction tale, and thus, Veera Simha Reddy was created.

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According to 123telugu, the director revealed, “After Krack, I approached Balakrishna Garu with the Jaat story and got the green signal, too. But post-Akhanda, Balayya Garu said the expectations had been raised and that a faction backdrop would better meet them. And that’s how Veera Simha Reddy materialized.”

Fans continue to speculate whether Nandamuri Balakrishna’s larger-than-life presence could have added a different dimension to Jaat. Nevertheless, with Balakrishna moving on, the role was ultimately handed over to Sunny Deol, whose name is synonymous with action films.

Box Office Success & Sequel Announcement

Despite a strong weekend performance, Jaat recorded its lowest collections by the third Monday, bringing in only Rs. 62 lakh, which was a 67% drop from earlier figures (via Sacnilk). The dip in numbers suggests that Jaat couldn’t maintain momentum as new films entered the scene, but it still secured a respectable spot in the action genre.

Besides this, Sunny Deol confirmed that the much-awaited sequel, Jaat 2, is officially in the works. Directed by Gopichand Malineni, the sequel is expected to up the ante with more intense action and drama.

For more such updates, check out Bollywood

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