Shoban Babu was offered a role in Athadu, a film backed by his contemporary, Murali Mohan. Trivikram loved Shoban Babu to be cast as Satyanarayana Murthy, Pardhu's grandfather, who was eventually played by Nassar.
Murali Mohan asked an industry person to approach Shoban Babu in Chennai. "I even sent a blank cheque to convey my willingness to pay any amount of remuneration. But Shoban Babu politely declined to act in a character role. He told me he wants the audience to remember him for ever as a young hero and not as a character artist who played a father or a patient," Murali Mohan today said.
Uday Kiran was the first one to be considered to play Pardhu. The character was eventually played by Mahesh Babu. Athadu is up for re-release on August 9 twenty years after its original theatrical release.
