The film ‘Baahubali,’ released 10 years ago, has been a monumental success in Indian cinema. It was also widely appreciated by Hindi-speaking audiences and earned a massive amount worldwide. The late actress Sridevi was offered a role in ‘Baahubali,’ but she declined. Years later, her husband, Boney Kapoor, shared the real reason behind this decision, stating it was due to a misunderstanding and lies propagated by the film’s producer. When Sridevi rejected the role, director S.S. Rajamouli had claimed that she demanded an entire hotel floor, flight tickets for her entourage, and a fee of ₹10 crore. However, Sridevi refuted these claims. Now, Boney Kapoor has unveiled the actual reason why his wife didn’t take part in the film.
In a recent interview, Boney revealed that S.S. Rajamouli wanted to cast Sridevi. Boney mentioned that he still possesses a message from Rajamouli expressing his admiration for Sridevi. His respect for her deepened after their conversations because of the valuable suggestions she provided.
Boney explained that producer Shobu Yarlagadda created misunderstandings about Sridevi. Consequently, the actress did not accept the role. Boney further stated that Rajamouli had visited their home for discussions and, after his departure, the producer offered Sridevi a fee lower than what she had earned for ‘English Vinglish’ in 2012. Boney questioned why he would permit his wife, who wasn’t a struggling actress, to accept such a low offer, given the advantages of casting her.
Boney added that Shobu had misled Rajamouli about Sridevi’s fee. Boney said that the producer did not reveal the actual offer to Rajamouli. Shobu allegedly told Rajamouli that Sridevi wanted an entire hotel floor and team, whereas they only desired to have significant shoots during their children’s holidays to allow them to participate. Furthermore, Boney accused Shobu of portraying Sridevi as unprofessional. In response, Boney asked why Rakesh Roshan would work with her in three films, Yash Chopra in four films, D Ramanaidu in six films, and Raghavendra Rao in over twenty films if she were unprofessional.