Did you know Sanjay Dutt was the first choice for Nagarjuna's role in 'Khuda Gawah'?

The film Khuda Gawah, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, and Nagarjuna, celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 8. But did you know that Nagarjuna was not the original choice for the role, as Sanjay Dutt was initially signed for the film?
Yes, you read it right! In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the filmmaker Manoj Desai shared that Sanjay Dutt was initially signed for Khuda Gawah, and they even shot seven reels with him.He revealed that Farah Naaz had also joined the project, but all the footage with them had to be scrapped.
Manoj explained that the late director Mukul Anand wanted to shoot his Pepsi and other ads for free at Nagarjuna’s studio in Hyderabad, which led to Nagarjuna being cast in the role. As a result, the scenes with Sanjay Dutt and Farah Naaz, including a song, were removed, and Shilpa Shirodkar later replaced Farah.
Manoj clarified that rumours of any issues between Sanjay Dutt and him were unfounded. The producer further disclosed that Dutt was dropped from Khuda Gawah because he was part of the song 'Tamma Tamma,' which had a similar sound to 'Jhumma Chumma.' He shared that Dutt was so troubled by this situation that he eventually sought refuge in Amitabh Bachchan’s vanity van.
Manoj explained that it was Mukul Anand's decision that led to Dutt leaving the film, not any personal conflict. The filmmaker recalled that Ajay Devgn had also been passed over for the part. He claimed that Mukul Anand chose Nagarjuna over Devgn because he wanted the work to be done for free.