Rashmika Mandanna replaces Samantha Ruth Prabhu; teams up with Rahul Ravindran: Reports

Filmmaker Rahul Ravindran, known for his successful directorial debut with "Chi La Sow," faced a setback in his directorial career with "Manmadhudu 2," which didn't perform well at the box office and received criticism for its content.

However, Rahul is now set to make a comeback with a new directorial project that has piqued the interest of actress Rashmika Mandanna. The script, with a focus on female-oriented themes, has impressed Rashmika.

The film will be jointly produced by Allu Arvind and Bunny Vaas under the Geetha Arts 2 banner. While an official announcement is pending, it is widely expected that Rashmika will be part of the project.

Originally, the film was planned with Samantha in the lead, thanks to her friendship with Rahul Ravindran's wife, Chinmayi. However, Samantha had to withdraw from the project due to health reasons and subsequent treatment.

Rashmika Mandanna, who is already playing the title role in "Butterfly Fly," has high hopes for her upcoming pan-India films, "Animal" and "Pushpa: The Rule."