There was buzz that the voluptuous beauty Anushka, who is currently riding high with the success of her latest Telugu release Arundhati, has replaced Parvathi Melton in Mahesh Babu's much-anticipated action entertainer Varudu, directed by Trivikram Srinivas. We have just confirmed the news and Varudu will be Anushka's fourth film in 2009 among Siruthai, Vettaikaran and Billa (Telugu).

After the tremendous success of Athadu (2005), Mahesh Babu once again teams up with director Trivikram Srinivas in Varudu, produced by Singanamala Ramesh under the banner of Kanakarathna Movies. The film will be extensively shot in the picturesque locations of Rajasthan, Nashik and South Africa. The first schedule will be shot in Hyderabad and its longer second schedule will be in Rajasthan.

Varudu will be an action-based romantic entertainer featuring Mahesh in the role of a taxi driver. Notably, Mahesh Babu抯 wife and former Miss India Namrata Shirodkar will design the costumes for the heroine and look after the make-up for the artists. Comedian Sunil and Prakashraj have important roles in this film, which is to be cinematographed by ace Bollywood cameraman Sunil Patel of Hum Tum and Bachna Ae Haseeno fame. Manisharma scores the music. Varudu is slated for a July 2009 release.

Mahesh Babu's last film was Athidhi (2007), directed by Surender Reddy and produced by actor's brother Ramesh Babu with a whopping budget of Rs. 22 crores. Despite terrific openings, Athidhi's collections dropped to 45% by the second week of release. The film had a 50 day run. Varudu is expected to be a comeback film by Mahesh Babu in 2009.

Meanwhile, Anushka抯 Tollywood blockbuster Arundhati, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, is now being dubbed in Tamil in the same name. The film is about the struggle of the protagonist (Anushka) to free her family from a curse. Film critics view the box office records set by this film as a phenomenal achievement, as the film is heroine-centric and seldom do such movies create records at the box office.