Was Baahubali's Devasena AKA Anushka Shetty Fat-Shamed And Dropped From Prabhas’ Next, Saaho?

Actor Anushka Shetty’s sizzling chemistry with Prabhas in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has been one of the high points of the Indian film universe this year. It created such a buzz that the two were rumoured to be dating… and even planning marriage. So, when word was out that Anushka would star in Prabhas’ next big film Saaho, fans were thrilled. But on Monday came the news that she had been dropped, and that, too, for “being overweight”.

An entertainment portal quoted a source as saying, “Anushka was training hard for the role in Saaho. But her weight has become a bone of contention. She is still about five to eight kilo overweight. And this might cost her the film itself.”

Isn’t that a clear case of fat-shaming? Anushka had put on several kilos for her film Size Zero (2015), but looked quite fit in this year’s Baahubali 2. So, why is her weight an issue? Sources close to the unit of Saaho tell Hindustan Times that Anushka has not yet been signed, so there is no question of her being dropped. Anushka herself wasn’t available for a comment, but a source said, “Makers [of Saaho] are still in conversation with Anushka. Whether she’ll be a part of the film or not will depend on her dates. We don’t know from where this weight loss thing has come up, because it’s not a point of discussion.”

“We’ll announce the final casting when it happens, but right now, dates are being worked out, because there’s a lot of shooting planned. It’s again a very big film, just like Baahubali, being shot in three languages, and it’s going to [need] filming of another six-seven months continuously with a lot of training,” adds the source.

.”Another source, close to Saaho director Sujeeth Reddy and Prabhas, tells us, “The shooting is not happening at this moment; it’ll only start from this month end. These reports about Anushka are false because she’s not yet confirmed. The makers are yet to take a call. They’ll take a decision soon. [Also], everyone is speculating that Anushka is finalised for Saaho, because the same banner is producing a film called Bhagmati, which stars Anushka in the lead.”

There have been some reports suggesting that Anushka is on a weight-loss spree and is deliberately staying away from the media until she achieves her goal. The source agrees that she was always in consideration for the lead role opposite Prabhas in Saaho, and adds, “It’s not like she’s overweight or anything. She’s looking good and she’s acting in one more film [Bhagmati]. She gained weight for Size Zero, but that was two years ago, and after that, she did Baahubali and she looked very much in shape.”

As for the silence from Saaho makers on this, the source adds, “Sujeeth is not talking because, before this, without him saying anything, news spread about some other casting for the film. He has decided that only after everything is decided, will he talk when the shooting [for Saaho] starts.”

Besides Anushka, female actors considered for Saaho include Katrina Kaif, Shraddha Kapoor, Disha Patani, Sonam Kapoor and Pooja Hegde.