Exclusive: Sai Pallavi Was One of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Choices for Madhubala

Sai Pallavi is on her way to make her mark in Bollywood. The actress, who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films, has also been roped in for Ramayana, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Ek Din, alongside Junaid Khan. Now, our exclusive source has confirmed that alongside Kiara Advani, Sai Pallavi was also in the running to bag the iconic role of Madhubala in the superstar’s upcoming biopic.

Filmfare had recently exclusively revealed that Aneet Padda bagged the role, but what we came to know again is Sai Pallavi was one of producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s major choices for the movie. Our source said that Bhansali wanted a fresh face to rule the screen as Madhubala, and Sai Pallavi fit the bill, owing to her little to very limited appearance in Bollywood. However, the discussions did not pan out in favour of Sai Pallavi joining the cast. While our source remained tight-lipped about the reasons for her not being the ultimate actress helming the role, there might have been date clashes due to her already-signed projects, including Ramayana. Whatever it is, fans would have to wait a little longer for Sai Pallavi and Sanjay Leela Bhansali to collaborate, if that is what they want.

Talking about confirmed projects, Sai Pallavi is slated to make her debut in Bollywood with Ek Din. She is starring in the movie, alongside Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan. She is playing Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The first part is releasing on Diwali 2026 while the second part will release on Diwali 2027. She hasn’t announced any other Bollywood project yet.

She won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) – Tamil for her role in Amaran at the 70th Filmfare Awards South with Kerala Tourism, held in February 2026.

Also Read: Photos: Aamir Khan Shows Up As a Proud Dad at Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi’s Ek Din Trailer Launch