Throwback: When Vidya Balan nearly starred alongside Mohanlal as the lead

Vidya Balan is undoubtedly one of the most talented actresses, and she is now gearing up for the much-awaited third part of the ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ franchise. Let’s take a look back at the time when the actress almost made her Malayalam debut alongside Mohanlal in A. K. Lohithadas’s directorial Chakram.

Earlier, Vidya Balan shared a throwback picture with Mohanlal and penned a note that read, “Tbt 2000... pic taken on the set of my first Malayalam film Chakram with @mohanlal! The film got shelved after the first schedule... not looking as bad as I imagined I did.”

In the throwback picture, Vidya Balan looks elegant in a plain red suit, while Mohanlal appears dapper as always with his signature mustache.

Although A. K. Lohithadas had originally planned for Mohanlal and Vidya Balan to play the lead roles in Chakram, the film did not proceed as planned. Later, actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Meera Jasmine took on the roles of Chandrahasan and Indrani, respectively, in the movie, which hit the big screens on December 27, 2003. The story revolves around a truck driver named Chandrahasan who falls in love with Indrani and later marries her. However, everything goes awry when Indrani is kidnapped, and Chandrahasan embarks on a journey to rescue her. The movie also featured actors Baburaj, Chandra Lakshman, Vijeesh, and many others in pivotal roles.

Vidya Balan later delivered a magnificent performance in the Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer Urumi, which earned her much praise from audiences. The movie, directed by veteran Santhosh Sivan, was released in 2011. The period drama turned out to be a superhit.