‘Malliswari’ director recalls the struggle of directing Katrina Kaif in her Telugu debut opposite Venkatesh, reveals Sonali Bendre was the first choice |

More than two decades after ‘Malliswari’ became a fan favourite, director K. Vijaya Bhaskar has opened up about casting Katrina Kaif in the film and the challenges that came with introducing the future Bollywood star to Telugu cinema. The 2004 romantic comedy, led by Venkatesh, marked Katrina’s Telugu debut and played a key role in familiarising her with audiences in the South.Looking back on the experience, Vijaya Bhaskar admitted that helping Katrina adapt to the role was not easy. Speaking in an earlier conversation with iDream Media, he praised her dedication but noted that she was unfamiliar with the nuances required for the character.“It was very difficult but what I say is, she’s a very hardworking person. She doesn’t even have any body language. Sometimes when she sits, I have to ask her to sit properly. It is because they grew up in a completely different environment. There’s no idea about how a Telugu girl is supposed to be. She should just be a princess, royal and all, but also very respectful and loving,” he said.The filmmaker revealed that the difficulties began even before filming commenced. According to him, bringing Katrina on board proved to be a complicated process despite his strong belief that she was the right choice for the role.“Actually it was my choice to cast Katrina, so it got really tough for the producer. I saw Katrina Kaif in an ad, she was really good. We called her, told her the story, and she said okay. So, we went to Mumbai. Everything was set, however there was some form of disagreement later in the day. Even when the production team offered an advance, she refused to take it,” he added.Following the setback, the team began exploring alternative options. Vijaya Bhaskar recalled that several beauty pageant winners were invited for auditions and photoshoots as the makers searched for the perfect actress to play the princess.“All the so-called beauty queens were called right here by Suresh Daggubati, literally all of them,” he said.Among the names under consideration was Sonali Bendrewhom the director greatly admired. However, despite her popularity and acting credentials, he felt she wasn’t the ideal fit for the character.“I really like Sonali Bendre. She’s a very professional girl and a really good actor. But I knew she was not Malliswari, because we’ve already looked into that. I’ve already done it myself in Manmadhudu. Sonali Bendre was everyone’s choice for the role of Malliswari because she was considered the most beautiful and disciplined actress of that era. However, I wanted to cast someone who was a fresh face to Telugu audiences so they would truly feel like they were watching a princess.”Ultimately, the director stuck to his instinct, and Katrina went on to headline ‘Malliswari’, a film that remains one of the most memorable projects of her early career.