Samantha Ruth Prabhu Turns Down Special Role in Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha; Find Out Who Replaced Her

Dulquer Salmaan, the recent pan-India sensation from Hanu Raghavapudi's Sita Ramam and R Balki's Chup, is returning to his Malayalam roots in the upcoming film King of Kotha. The film will be a gangster action thriller and is being envisioned by first-time director Abhilash Joshiy. According to reports actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Malayalam debut was supposed to happen with King of Kotha with a special number.

If the latest updates are to be believed, then Samantha is no longer a part of Dulquer's King of Kotha. The actress, whose film Yashoda is currently running in theatres, has reportedly declined the offer from the makers for a special appearance in the film due to her health issues and busy schedule. In her place, actress Ritika Singh, known for her performance in the Tamil film Irudhi Suttru opposite actor R. Madhavan, has now been roped in for the special number in King of Kotha. These reports have been confirmed after a fan-clicked selfie with Ritika on the sets of the film went viral.

The film King of Kotha is a collaboration between Dulquer Salmaan and his childhood friend Abhilash Joshiy, who is the son of veteran filmmaker Joshiy. Reportedly, Dulquer will play the role of a gangster in the film and will be seen in two different looks that showcase the varied stages in the life of the character. Famous actress Aishwarya Lekshmi will be playing the female lead in the film. Very soon, the film will begin its next leg of the shoot in Uttar Pradesh. See post here

The list of stars cast in the King of Kotha consists of some heavyweight names like Gokul Suresh, Nyla Usha, Shabeer Kallarackal, Chemban Vinod Jose, Shanthi Krishna, Sudhi Koppa, Senthil Krishna, and Rajesh Sharma. The film is being produced by Dulquer's own production house, Wayfarer Films, and Zee Studios. The songs of the film are being composed by Shaan Rahman, and the background score is being given by Jakes Bejoy.