Most reports indicate that months of speculation became moot with the rejection of a ₹350 Crore film by Katrina Kaif, which starred Prabhas. Once tagged as high-budget and pan-India appealing, Prabhas had perhaps the highest buzz about this untitled film for the ₹350 Crore budget. The reason the project once scaled down was allegedly because, after weeks of talks, the Bollywood star Katrina Kaif turned it down.
Assumably, the constant hope for her presence as the leading lady on the talks of the team of Prabhas was with the hope to be casting her on board as the leading lady. Given Katrina's stature in Bollywood and following across India, casting her would give weight to the film. Sadly, months of haggling, the actress declined.
Confirmation of the above-mentioned reports is awaited, but IMDb and other sources of the industry now say that Katrina was indeed the actress approached for the said role.
Why the Film Matters
Many quotations say that ₹350 crores put the film into the league of the most expensive ones ever made in Indian cinema. Such grand investments must have planned for something monumental-maybe a project along the lines of Prabhas's earlier Saaho or his most awaited Kalki 2898 AD. It was most probably to include huge sets, futuristic visuals, and a storyline of pan-India resonance.
Casting alongside Prabhas could have been a really big catch for the makers. The union of two huge stars from opposite industries was bound to ensure massive audience appeal both in the Hindi belt and in the South.
Possible Reasons Behind The Decision
So, what would compel Katrina Kaif to say no to such high-visibility work? The reasons given to date have been speculative; several factors are flagged by industry observers:
Script & Role Relevance: Katrina is picky when choosing roles. Oftentimes she favors characters that play a central part in the storyline over ones that just serve ornamental purposes in the big-budget spectacle.
Scheduling Conflicts: With the present heavy-duty assignment in Bollywood, she may have found it hard to juggle the dates for a project of such magnitude.
Creative Choices: Quite simply, from time to time, an actor associates the declined project with something that just didn't connect with their vision even though it was an enticing offer.
Leaving accusatives aside, it just puts a feather on that purportedly Katrina is not maximizing on her career but is more committed to sustain quality.
What Comes Next?
Since Prabhas is no stranger to little roadblocks, he seems to have taken this recent development in stride. A return to the floor with huge projects is his motto and he continues to spearhead arguably the most ambitious films in Indian cinema. As for Katrina Kaif, her career path suggests a penchant for films where style meets substance.
