Mahesh Babu Rejected Several Movies Till Now, But Films Like Pushpa, Animal & Others Could Have Taken Him On A Whole New Level

Mahesh Babu’s critical and commercial success has made him one of the most sought-after South stars. At a time when every actor is eager to jump onto the pan-India bandwagon, Mahesh Babu expresses a keen desire to stick to his roots, wanting to do Telugu films only. Yes, we are talking about his “Bollywood can’t afford me” remarks.

In his prolific career, Mahesh Babu has delivered many hits and a few misses, but did you know there are several films he has rejected, which later went on to become mega hits? Today, we are sharing a list of five such films that were initially offered to Mahesh Babu, but the South Prince rejected them. Scroll below.

Pushpa

Allu Arjun starrer Pushpa: The Rise, directed by Sukumar, and also starring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, was initially offered to Mahesh Babu. However, according to a TOI report, the actor rejected the film due to its gritty nature and reservations about the transformation required to demonstrate the character of Pushpa Raj. For the unversed, the film turned out to be a nationwide phenomenon, becoming the first Indian film to attract massive footfalls in the theatres post the Covid-19 scare.

Ghajini

Filmmaker AR Murugadoss wanted to work with Mahesh Babu for a very long time, and finally approached him with the script of his ambitious project Ghajini; however, the actor rejected the film due to reasons undisclosed. The film later went on to feature Suriya and garnered commercial success, proving to be a turning point in his career.

Idiot

The film Idiot, which starred Ravi Teja, was first offered to Mahesh Babu but the latter rejected the film as he felt the need to distance himself from masala entertainment while he was gravitating toward more serious roles. Puri Jagannadh, the director of the film, then offered it to Ravi Teja who established himself as a mass hero and saw a massive surge in popularity after the film’s release.

Ye Maaya Chesave

Ye Maaya Chesave was originally proposed to Mahesh Babu by director Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film, which also marked Samantha Ruth Prabhu‘s acting debut, was subsequently offered to Naga Chaitanya. The romantic drama generated humungous buzz for passionate chemistry between the two leads and is considered a significant milestone in both Sam and Chay’s careers.

Animal

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal is an upcoming film that has garnered significant buzz even before its release. The Ranbir Kapoor starrer film was initially offered to Mahesh Babu but the latter turned it down stating it didn’t align with his personal preferences. Animal also features Anil Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.

Mahesh Babu will next be seen in Trivikram’s Guntur Kaaram which also stars Pooja Hegde. The film is slated to release on 13 January 2023.

For more stories from Down South, stay tuned to Koimoi.

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