Reports doing the rounds over the past few days suggested that Deepika Padukone’s role in filmmaker Atlee’s next with Allu Arjun, the working title of which is AA22xA6, has been trimmed. However, contrary to rumours, sources close to Atlee’s sci-fi action movie have told mid-day that her role remains unchanged. According to two unit insiders, the actor will join the project in late October, after completing her ongoing shoot for Shah Rukh Khan’s King.
Allu Arjun and Atlee
An insider from the film’s team revealed, “There is no truth to rumours that Deepika’s screen time has been reduced. Her role has not changed from what she was offered when she came onboard in June. She has a fierce part, which is essential to the first and second acts of the narrative.”
From what we’ve heard, Padukone has allotted her dates from late October to December-end to the project. Apparently, the first schedule will focus on portions that establish her character, while November is earmarked for large-scale action set-pieces, which will include a chase sequence that Atlee is designing with his stunt team from South Korea, and a dialogue-heavy confrontation. The insider added, “In December, the unit will move to the UAE where Allu Arjun and Deepika will film a crucial mid-film twist and emotional scenes.”
Janhvi Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Mrunal Thakur
The sci-fi action film, which explores themes of time travel, reportedly sees Arjun play multiple roles and has at least four heroines — Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, Janhvi Kapoor, and Mrunal Thakur. The presence of so many leading ladies has led to chatter that Padukone’s role is a cameo. The source, however, clarified, “It’s not a cameo at all. Her character drives the story in a way. Every actor has a clearly etched out part.”
