SS Rajamouli’s mythological epic Baahubali became a blockbuster when it came out in 2015 and instantly marked its place in public memory. However, the film also opened up some controversies. It was rumoured at the time that veteran actor Sridevi was offered the role of Sivagami in the film which she refused due to her conditions not being met. Now, her husband, producer Boney Kapoor revealed that the stories about her refusal were wrongly spread by the film’s producers.
In an interview with Game Changers on YouTube, Boney said, “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?”
He added, “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.”
Boney said that Rajamouli was told wrong things about Sridevi. “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?,” Boney said.
Sridevi passed away at the age of 54 in 2018. Her last appearance was in the crime-thriller, Mom.
