Insiders say the actress, who was last seen on the big screen in Raanjhanaa, was initially approached to play Draupadi in the upcoming serial Mahabharata. The show is to go on air next month but apparently Swara kept dilly-dallying, forcing the makers to change their mind about her.

Pooja Sharmau00a0(top)u00a0and Swara Bhaskar

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Then the Delhi-based newcomer Pooja was roped in for the same role.

Says a source from the channel, “Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary had been looking for a girl for a long time and had auditioned many known television actresses. It took us a lot of time to select someone to play Draupadi. Since it was an important role, the channel and the production house did not want to hurry making their decision. They were keen to have Swara.”

Insiders say the makers wanted Swara owing to her dusky looks and her impressive performance in her last film.

The source adds, “She didn’t seem too keen during the discussions but she didn’t refuse it outright. We kept assuming she would get back to us. At the last moment, she backed out citing some date problems.”

Incidentally, the makers are so keen to have Swara on board that they are willing to accommodate her dates and offer her another role in the same show.

However, Swara denied ever being approached for the show.u00a0