Sonakshi Sinha to play Mandakini, but she won’t expose!

Sonakshi Sinha has reportedly been pencilled in to play the role of Mandakini in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2.

Director Milan Luthria and producer Ekta Kapoor have had their share of vacillation in roping in an actress suited to play the role of Mandakini in the sequel of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. After their original choice Kareena Kapoor opted out of the project, a lot of actresses were reported to be under consideration for the film. It was even believed that Kangana Ranaut, who played Ajay Devgn’s love interest Rehana in OUATIM could be roped in.

Now we hear that Sonakshi Sinha has bagged the role. However, Sonakshi won’t be doing any revealing scenes in the film, particularly that bathing under the waterfall in a thin white sari that Mandakini did in Ram Teri Ganga Maili.

What made Sonakshi come aboard was the delay in the shooting of Lootera because of Ranveer Singh’s injury. Moreover since OUATIM 2 rolls in August, Sonakshi is expected to have more free dates in her diary by then. Add to that the fact that both Milan Luthria and Ekta Kapoor didn’t really want Kangana Ranaut playing the role because they thought the audience might get confused between the characters of Rehana and Mandakini.

In Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2, Akshay Kumar plays the character of an underworld don, loosely based on Dawood Ibrahim. Sonakshi will play his love interest, Mandakini, once a popular actress in Bollywood.

Incidentally, it would be Sonakshi and Akshay’s third film together after Rowdy Rathore and Joker.