When Hanu Raghavapudi REVEALED why he chose Instagram celebrity Imanvi as lead for Prabhas starrer Fauji; Throwback

In an early chat with a news portal, Fauji director Hanu Raghavapudi revealed why he chose Imanvi as the lead for the Prabhas starrer.

By Goutham S

Published on Mar 11, 2025 | 03:57 PM IST | 21.9K

When Hanu Raghavapudi REVEALED why he chose Instagram celebrity Imanvi as lead for Prabhas (PC: Mythri Movie Makers, X)

Prabhas is currently involved in the making of his movie tentatively titled Fauji with director Hanu Raghavapudi. Talking about the same, the director revealed he chose an Instagram celebrity like Imanvi for the lead role alongside Prabhas after being impressed with her dance skills and eyes.

In a chat with Deccan Chronicle, the Sita Ramam director revealed how Imanvi is a talented dancer and how he was impressed with her skills after watching her dance videos. Hanu added, “She’s a great Bharatanatyam dancer. But what tilted the balance was her eyes. She has very expressive eyes and I thought I would give her a shot.”

Highlighting how social media is a useful tool for finding talent and saying, “Social media is an easy tool to find new talent. Many industry people don’t know how to reach the right talent, but social media definitely helps filmmakers choose suitable actors to play the characters they have created.”

For those unaware, Imanvi, aka Iman Esmail, is a popular Instagram celebrity who made the headlines with her dance videos on social media. Owing to her charm and dancing skills, the internet celebrity shot to fame, especially after being announced as the female lead in Prabhas’ film.

Coming to the movie, Fauji is touted to be a period venture set in the 1940s. The drama tale is set to be based on the Razakar movement, with the Salaar actor playing the role of a British Indian army officer.

Apart from Prabhas and Imanvi, the movie also features actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Jayaprada, and more in pivotal roles.

Talking about Prabhas’ film front, the actor was last seen in the movie Kalki 2898 AD. With Fauji in the making, the Rebel Star’s next release is likely to be The Raja Saab this year.

Moreover, the actor is next set to join the shoot for the movie titled Spirit, which is being helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Furthermore, the actor also has a project with director Prasanth Varma in the pipeline.