Yes, according to a media report Alia was the first choice for 'Saaho' opposite Prabhas but she refused the as it was a very small role as compared to Prabhas' role.
According to sources Alia is delivering some stellar performances and she has already carved a niche for herself and she doesn't want to do anything which is not up to her potential. This is why she refused the role for 'Saaho'.
When Alia said no for 'Saaho', the makers turned to Shraddha and she grabbed the opportunity.
Other than Shraddha Kapoor other Bollywood celebs e.g. Jackie Shroff, Mandira Bedi and Neil Nitin Mukesh are also part of this trilingual film which is slated to release in 2018.