Anushka is there because of director, not Nag

In an industry where sentiment is part of life, actors/actresses/directors/producers are no strangers to roping in their lucky charm for the sake of it.  But when the director is someone like K Raghavendra Rao, the lucky charm is there for a reason.  We are talking about the Darshakendrudu's on-the-floors flick – Om Namo Venkatesaya.

This devotional, based on the legend of Haathi Ram Baba, has Nagarjuna essaying the popular saint's role.  If Pragya Jaiswal of Kanche fame and Vimala Raman are playing important roles, it has been rumoured that Anushka is playing the role of a 'sadhvi' here.  

This set a speculation with regards to Anushka's relative significance to the film.  After she proved to be a lucky charm for Soggade Chinni Nayana and Oopiri, Nag was said to have enlisted the talented actress for reasons to do with sentiment.  

However, K Raghavendra Rao's tweet yesterday made it clear that she is there in the film to fulfill an irreplaceable slot.  In this tweet, KRR has said that Anushka is one talented actress who can get into the skin of any character – be it Arundhati or Rudrama Devi.  Saying that he has always wanted to cast her in a suitable role in his film, he said that she is playing the role of a devotee in Om Namo Venkatesaya.  He also clarified that she is not Nag's pair in the movie as had been speculated.