Was Ajay Devgn the first choice to play Alauddin Khilji in Padmavati and not Ranveer Singh? Here's the truth

There have been rumours that Ajay Devgn was the first choice to play Alauddin Khilji in Padmavati. However, latest reports suggest that it is not true.

 Ajay was never offered any role for Padmavati, reports vouch. But director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had approached him for Bajirao Mastani. Ranveer has always been the first choice for the role Khilji, the reports said. 

"Ajay was never offered Padmavati. The Khilji role was Ranveer Singh's from the very start. Ajay had been offered Bajirao Mastani; he was the first choice for the role. And Bhansali sir was keen to team up with him again after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. But things didn't work out then," Deccan Chronicle quoted a source close to the team as saying.

The report also stated that Ajay had demanded a huge fee for playing the role of Bajirao, which forced Bhansali to go back to Ranveer, who eventually received great appreciation for his performance.

Meanwhile, Padmavati has been in the news these days, thanks to the protests against its release. Some Rajput outfits have been protesting against its release, alleging distortion of historical facts.

The protestors have been alleging that Bhansali would portray the character of Rani Padmavati in a bad light. Although SLB had repeatedly assured that there is no such scene that would hurt anybody's sentiments, Karni Sena and some other outfits remain adamant.

In the wake of such protests and controversies, the release date of Padmavati has been delayed. While it was supposed to hit the screens on December 1, the release date has now been postponed without declaring another date.