Shalini Pandey, who won accolades for her portrayal of Preeti in Arjun Reddy, has signed her third Telugu film. The actor has been roped in to play one of the female leads in a thriller starring Kalyan Ram in the lead.

“The makers considered several names before zeroing in on Shalini as one of the female leads. It’s an interesting character and they were on the search for a young and fresh face opposite Kalyan Ram. After seeing her potential in Arjun Reddy, the team felt she would be a perfect choice for the role,” informs a source.

Meanwhile, Nivetha Thomas, last seen in Jai Lava Kusa, is also in contention to play the other female lead in the film. “The makers have also initiated talks with Nivetha. She was pleased with her characterisation and the script, but is yet to give her nod. If everything falls into place, she may sign the contract soon,” the source adds.

To be directed by renowned cinematographer KV Guhan, the film is being bankrolled by Mahesh S Koneru under East Coast Productions.