 For Pokiri , Mahesh sported a longer hair style than in his previous films and shed five kilograms of weight . He used a new wardrobe and the same pair of shoes throughout the film . Jagannadh wanted to cast Ayesha Takia as the female lead . Due to a last minute change , the makers opted to replace Takia and considered several actresses including <unk> Padukone . Jagannadh approached Parvati <unk> to play the female lead . She declined the offer because , at that time , her parents were against her decision to become an actress . He also approached <unk> <unk> who could not accept the role because of scheduling conflicts with the filming of her scenes in <unk> ( 2006 ) . After seeing <unk> of <unk> D 'Cruz in her Telugu debut <unk> ( 2006 ) , Jagannadh signed her as the female lead since he needed a girl who looked like a teenager to play the role of the aerobics teacher . 
