Ranveer Singh Was Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Original Choice for Kabir Singh, Reveals Resurfaced Interview
An old interview of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has gone viral in early January 2026, revealing a fascinating piece of Bollywood casting history: Ranveer Singh was the filmmaker’s first choice to play the lead in the 2019 blockbuster Kabir Singh, not Shahid Kapoor.
The interview, originally conducted with iDream Media around 2023, resurfaced amid the massive success of Ranveer Singh’s latest film Dhurandhar. In the clip, Vanga openly discusses the journey of remaking his Telugu hit Arjun Reddy into Hindi as Kabir Singh.
According to Vanga, the project was first offered to Ranveer Singh. The director admitted he was keen to collaborate with the energetic star and personally wanted him for the intense, controversial role of the self-destructive surgeon Kabir Singh.
“First, it was pitched to Ranveer Singh. I wanted to do it with him,” Vanga said. “But finally, he decided he will not do it, because it was too dark for him at that time.”
Ranveer reportedly passed on the film shortly after portraying the menacing Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat (2018), feeling the character’s darkness was too heavy following that experience.
After Ranveer opted out, the role landed with Shahid Kapoor. At the time, many in the industry questioned the decision, pointing to Shahid’s lack of a solo ₹100-crore grosser. Vanga, however, remained firm in his conviction, describing Shahid as a “fantastic actor.” The gamble paid off spectacularly—Kabir Singh became one of the biggest hits of 2019, earning over ₹380 crore worldwide and cementing Shahid’s position as a bankable leading man.
The resurfaced interview has sparked widespread discussion among fans, with many wondering how different the film might have been with Ranveer’s explosive energy in the titular role. Social media is buzzing with “what if” scenarios, especially given the mutual admiration between Ranveer and Vanga in recent years—Ranveer publicly praised Vanga’s Animal (2023), while Vanga has lauded Ranveer’s performance in Dhurandhar.
While Shahid Kapoor’s raw and vulnerable portrayal of Kabir Singh remains iconic, this revelation serves as a reminder of how a single casting decision can alter cinematic history—and how close Bollywood came to seeing a very different version of one of its most talked-about characters.
Fans can only hope that the evident respect between Ranveer Singh and Sandeep Reddy Vanga might one day lead to a future collaboration.
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