Baahubali 2: Why Sridevi refused to play Sivagami, asks Ram Gopal Varma. The answer be money

Sridevi refused to come on board for Baahubali franchise as the filmmakers were reportedly not ready to meet her remuneration demands.

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Ram Gopal Varma winders why Sridevi refused to play Sivagami

Following the magnificent success of director SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Conclusion, Bollywood actor Sridevi refusing to play formidable Sivagami role has returned to the spotlight. While many fans of the franchise are happy that the iconic role fell in the capable hands of Ramya Krishnan, whose performance in the film inspired a lot of appreciation from the critics and fans, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma begs to differ.

The controversial director has opined that Sridevi would have overshadowed the performances of other actors in the film if she had agreed to play Sivagami. “I really wonder why @SrideviBKapoor did not do Bahubali 2? What a super outstanding film it would have been for her illustrious career,” he wrote on his Twitter account, adding, “If @SrideviBKapoor did Bahubali2 she would have gotten more credit than Prabhas it being her very next film after English Vinglish.”

Varma has made no secret of his fondness for the seasoned Bollywood actor. In his autobiography, titled Guns and Thighs, Varma has talked about how much he loves and respects Sridevi even as he slammed Boney Kapoor for allegedly restricting her within the role of a housewife. In the past, Varma and Sridevi have worked in films such as Kshana Kshanam and Govinda Govinda.

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Read | Baahubali: Ramya Krishnan was not SS Rajamouli’s first choice to play Sivagami. It was Sridevi

Sridevi refused to come on board for Baahubali franchise as the filmmakers were not ready to meet her remuneration demands. She reportedly charged Rs 6 crore for the job, while Ramya delivered a gripping performance at Rs 2.5 crore. Not just that, Baahubali franchise is also now a comic book series. And the first book from the series The Rise of Sivagami has immortalised Ramya’s character.

I really wonder why @SrideviBKapoor did not do Bahubali 2 ?What a super outstanding film it would have been for her illustrious career

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 8, 2017

After refusing Baahubali franchise, Sridevi went on to act in the Tamil fantasy thriller, Puli, starring Vijay, which tanked at the box office.

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