The success of the Baahubali franchise sparked the pan-India movement in the Indian film industry, benefitting everyone associated with it.
However, the film’s journey wasn’t free from controversies. One of the most debated issues was late actor Sridevi’s refusal to play Sivagami.
At the time, it was rumoured that Sridevi declined the role because her demands weren’t met. Now, her husband, producer Boney Kapoor, has set the record straight, claiming the stories were fabricated by the producers.
Boney Kapoor on why Sridevi refused Baahubali
Speaking on Game Changers YouTube channel, Boney shared, “The film (Baahubali) with Rajamouli didn’t happen, but I still have his text saying he was a fan of Sridevi as an actor, but after having a conversation with her, his respect for her had increased multifold. That was because of the inputs she gave. She didn’t work in that film because of the confusion that was created by the producers. Rajamouli had come to our place and had a conversation about the film. When he went out of the room, the producers offered her less money than she got for English Vinglish. She wasn’t a struggling actor; you’re getting mileage out of her, which includes some help in both Hindi and Tamil. Why would I want my wife to do that?”
Boney alleged that producer Shobu Yarlagadda misled SS Rajamouli about Sridevi’s demands. He revealed, “I think the producers never told Rajamouli about the offer they had made. They told him that she wants the entire floor of the hotel; she wants a certain entourage. The only thing we wanted was for the big shoots to be scheduled during the time when our children had holidays.”
He further added, “These producers were the culprits who fed Rajamouli with wrong things. He said in an interview what all she wanted, and that is false. This Shobu guy was the one who did this, and maybe he didn’t want to part with that money. To say things like ‘She was being unprofessional’ is wrong. People like Rakesh Roshan, Yash Chopra, and Raghvendra Rao have all repeatedly worked with her. Why would they do that if she was unprofessional?”
Rajamouli and Sridevi’s reactions to the controversy
When Baahubali released, Sridevi’s supposed demands became a major talking point. During an interview with ABN Telugu, Rajamouli had claimed that Sridevi asked for an entire hotel floor, Rs 10 crore, and 10 flight tickets.
Responding to these allegations, Sridevi expressed her disappointment. In an interview with a Telugu channel, she said, “I have been in the industry for about 50 years and acted in more than 300 films. Do you think I could have accomplished all of this by making such demands? People in the industry would have sent me packing if I was like that. But, when you hear such things about yourself, you really get hurt. I don’t know if the producer wrongly told Rajamouli that I made all these demands, or there could have been some miscommunication. I think it is not in good taste to speak on a public platform like this.”
Later, Rajamouli admitted in an interview with DNA that he “regrets” making those statements and said he “shouldn’t have discussed such details on a public platform.”