"Mannara was not even approached in the first place. It was after the rumours circulated that her manager contacted the makers of the film to find out if she has any role," a source from the film's unit told IANS.
To be directed by Srikanth Addala, the film features Rakul Preet Singh as the female lead and is set to hit the floors in July.
Tamil actor Sathyaraj is said to be playing Mahesh's father in the film, which will be produced by PVP Cinema.
Meanwhile, Mahesh awaits the release of "Srimanthudu".