DYK Naga Chaitanya was the real inspiration of Sandeep Reddy Vanga for Animal & Kabir Singh’s look

Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s upcoming film Thandel is scheduled for release on 7th February, and both actors have been actively promoting the Chandoo Mondeti directorial. Recently, a pre-release event for Thandel was held in Hyderabad, attended by several notable figures, including filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

Videos from the event have been circulating widely on social media, with one in particular gaining significant attention. In this clip, Vanga reveals that Naga Chaitanya’s real-life look—with long hair and a beard—served as an inspiration for the lead male characters in his films Kabir Singh and Animal.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga reveals the Naga Chaitanya was his inspiration for Animal and Kabir Singh

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A post shared by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@sandeepreddy.vanga)

Speaking in Telugu at the event, Sandeep Reddy Vanga shared, “For some reason, even without knowing certain actors personally, you feel a special inclination towards them, and Chaitanya is one of them. In reality, the way you dress and even the way you drive your Lamborghini – I asked my costume designer to take references from your real-life outfits for Kabir Singh and Animal. I’ve never shared this before, but I thought I would today.”

Vanga on Sai Pallavi for Arjun Reddy

During the same event, Vanga also disclosed that he had initially wanted to cast Sai Pallavi in his debut directorial Arjun Reddy. He recounted his experience of trying to contact her via a coordinator from Kerala, only to later discover that the person was not an actual representative.

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A post shared by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (@sandeepreddy.vanga)

“I spoke to him saying that I have a story about a guy who is destroyed in love. It’s a very romantic story also. I want to cast Sai Pallavi as a heroine in my film. He said, ‘What is the romantic quotient in Arjun Reddy?’ I said, ‘It is more than what we usually see in Telugu cinema’. He said, ‘Sir, forget about it. The girl will not even wear sleeveless. Forget about it,’” Vanga recalled.

More about Animal, Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh

The Telugu film Arjun Reddy, which premiered in 2017, featured Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in lead roles. Its Bollywood adaptation, Kabir Singh, starred Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani. More recently, Vanga directed Animal, released in 2023, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.

Also Read: Sandeep Reddy Vanga reveals why Sai Pallavi lost Dr Preethi’s role in Arjun Reddy, says, “She will not even wear sleeveless”