Director Sudha Kongara’s eagerly awaited historical film Parasakthi released in cinema on January 10, 2026, but could not attract audiences. Going as far as to say the film’s poor run at the box office drew discussions up and down the internet, the director’s announcing that a high-profile cameo nearly comprised Vijay Deverakonda added to the issue.

She spoke about it in a recent talk, where she indicated that her plan to start the film with a flurry of cameos was not unlike the one that Nelson Dilipkumar applied to his Jailer, in which the main hero was Rajinikanth. She even made a pitch to the leading (Bollywood) actor Abhishek Bachchan to make a guest appearance.

Kongara said, “I wanted it right from the start, that only the actors of their languages would play the historical figures connected with the anti-Hindi movement.” I asked Abhishek Bachchan if he would be interested in a cameo role.”

The director also revealed that Vijay Deverakonda was her first choice for the role of Michael Reddy. However, the actor was unavailable as he was busy shooting for Kingdom. The role eventually went to Rana Daggubati.

Following the director’s revelation, Vijay’s fans reacted on social media with relief, noting that the film’s poor box office performance and Rana’s limited impact made it fortunate that Vijay did not take the role.