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While recent tensions between Bollywood star Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga over the Prabhas-starrer Spirit have dominated headlines, creative friction between top-tier actors and visionary directors is hardly new in Indian cinema. Long before the current controversy erupted, legendary South Indian director SS Rajamouli and late iconic actress Sridevi were locked in a high-profile disagreement during the pre-production of the historic blockbuster Baahubali.

The Casting of Sivagami and Sridevi’s Massive Demands

Fascinatingly, the common link between these two major controversies is actor Prabhas, who leads Spirit and played the legendary titular role in the Baahubali franchise. When SS Rajamouli was conceptualizing his pan-India masterpiece Baahubalihis absolute first choice for the iconic and powerful role of Rajamata Sivagami was Sridevi. However, initial talks and negotiations quickly derailed due to steep financial and logistical demands put forth by the veteran actress, which the production team found impossible to accommodate.

SS Rajamouli’s Revealing Interview on the Breakdown

Opening up about the fallout during an interview with NDTV Telugu, SS Rajamouli did not hold back in sharing specific details regarding the negotiations. The director revealed that Sridevi had demanded an exorbitant remuneration ranging between Rs 8 to 10 crore. Beyond her personal acting fee, her list of prerequisites included booking an entire luxury hotel floor exclusively for her accommodation and demanding 10 business-class air tickets for herself and her entourage for every travel schedule.

Why the Director Later Called It ‘Good Luck’

Faced with terms that would have drastically inflated the film’s budget, Rajamouli eventually decided to walk away from the casting choice, leading to the role famously and brilliantly being reassigned to Ramya Krishnan. Reflecting on the collapsed deal years later, Rajamouli remarked that missing out on casting Sridevi actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the production. He candidly stated that it was ultimately their “good luck” that she rejected the offer, noting that managing those extensive logistical overheads would have severely strained the project’s financial planning. The role ultimately became a defining milestone in Indian cinematic history, while the behind-the-scenes negotiations remain one of the most talked-about anecdotes in modern film lore.