Hurt Sridevi denies snubbing Baahubali for money

Sridevi seldom speaks to the media, let alone reveal her feelings in public. But in a rare admission, the seasoned actress said she was hurt by reports that she had rejected a role in the Baahubali franchise because she wasn’t happy with the remuneration being offered.

Rumour has it that the actress demanded Rs10 crore for the film. Speaking to a Telugu television channel, Sridevi, however, rubbished these claims and said she was hurt by filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s reported comment on the matter.

"I have avoided talking about it for a long time," she said. "But once and for all I want to clear the air.

"There are rumours that I asked for Rs10 crore for the role, including an entire floor in a hotel, 10 flight tickets, etc. 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 this by making such demands? People in the industry would have sent me packing if I was like that."

The English Vinglish (2012) actress said she never took the matter to heart when the rumours started doing the rounds. "But I saw a Rajamouli interview and I was shocked and hurt," she admitted. "I have heard about Rajamouli, he is a calm and dignified person.”

The actress is said to have snubbed Baahubali for the Tamil film Puli (2015), in which she played a queen. Ramya eventually played the role of Sivagami in Baahubali and her performance was appreciated.

While Baahubali went on to became a blockbuster, Puli did not enjoy much success. Rajamouli reportedly said in an interview that Sridevi rejecting the role was a stroke of luck. It was this statement that hurt Sridevi.

The actress, however, refused to hit back. "I don’t know if the producers wrongly told Rajamouli that I made all these demands, or there was some miscommunication," she said. "I think it is not in good taste to speak on a public platform like this."

Sridevi will be seen next in Ravi Udyawar’s Mom (2017), which is set to be released on 7 July.