Boney explains why Sridevi didn't star in 'Baahubali,' blames producers
What's the story
Producer Boney Kapoor has refuted claims that his late wife, actor Sridevi, demanded a hefty remuneration to star in Baahubali: The Beginning. He accused producer Shobu Yarlagadda of spreading lies about her demands. "The film (Baahubali) with Rajamouli didn't happen...after having a conversation with her, his respect for her had increased multifold," he said on Game Changers YouTube channel.
Discrepancy in remuneration
Producers offered her less than what she deserved: Kapoor
Kapoor revealed that the real reason Sridevi didn't join Baahubali was the producers' refusal to pay her what she deserved. He said, "When he (Rajamouli) 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?"
Miscommunication allegations
They misled Rajamouli about her demands, claims Kapoor
Kapoor alleged that the producers misled director SS Rajamouli about Sridevi's demands. He said, "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."
Professionalism defense
If she was unprofessional, why did directors cast her?: Kapoor
Kapoor also defended Sridevi's professionalism, saying that if she was unprofessional, directors like Rakesh Roshan, Yash Chopra, and Raghvendra Rao wouldn't have repeatedly worked with her. "These producers were the culprits who fed Rajamouli with wrong things. This [Shobu] was the one who did this," he said. The controversy over Sridevi's alleged demands had started when Rajamouli revealed in an interview with ABN Telugu that she wanted an entire hotel floor to herself, ₹10cr, and 10 flight tickets.
Actor's reaction
Sridevi was hurt over Rajamouli's comments
Sridevi was disappointed with Rajamouli's comments and 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." She passed away in 2018 at the age of 54.