‘Robo’ stands as one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema history. Even before ‘Baahubali’ brought about several visual spectacles, Shankar had set a precedent with ‘Robo’ five years earlier.

The film released in 2010, but Shankar had conceived it a decade earlier. Initially, he envisioned Kamal Haasan as the hero and Preity Zinta as the heroine, even conducting look tests with both of them. These photos surfaced on social media later.

However, in an interview, Kamal revealed why he did not proceed with the film. He mentioned that Shankar had also approached him for the villain role played by Akshay Kumar in ‘2.0’.

“Shankar, writer Sujatha, and I had discussed adapting the novel ‘I Robot’ into a film back in the 90s. We even conducted a look test for my role. However, the project didn’t materialize due to various industry considerations like budgets and remunerations,” Kamal explained.

“Considering the market dynamics at that time, it seemed more prudent not to proceed with the film. That’s why I stepped back. But Shankar persisted and eventually directed the film after a few years, which turned out to be a massive success. Subsequently, Shankar approached me for ‘2.0’.

“But I jokingly told him that I preferred to continue as a hero for a few more years rather than switch to a villainous role,” Kamal added with a smile.

It’s well-known that Shankar ultimately made ‘Robo’ with Kamal’s friend Rajini.