Pushpa To Leader, 5 Films That Mahesh Babu Rejected

Popular Telugu star Mahesh Babu boasts a string of hit movies in his illustrious career. He has firmly established his irreplaceable position in the industry. His upcoming project is Guntur Kaaram. Intriguingly, Mahesh Babu had declined several film offers previously, including superhit films like Pushpa, Ghajini, and many more. Here’s a brief look at the movies that Mahesh Babu turned down.

Pushpa

Director Sukumar initially pitched the Pushpa story to Mahesh Babu. Mahesh, however, declined the script, finding it too gritty and expressing concerns about the transformation required for the role of Pushpa Raj. Sukumar then turned to Allu Arjun, who wholeheartedly accepted the project. The rest, as they say, is now a significant chapter in the annals of film history.

Animal

Initially, Sandeep Reddy Vanga offered the lead role in his upcoming film Animal to Mahesh Babu, but Mahesh declined, citing the character’s dark nature didn’t match his preferences. The role was then offered to Ranbir Kapoor, who will be starring alongside Rashmika Mandanna. The film is slated for a 2023 release.

Ghajini

AR Murugadoss had a long-standing desire to collaborate with Mahesh Babu in a film. He even approached Mahesh with the script of Ghajini, but Mahesh declined for unspecified reasons. Subsequently, Murugadoss cast Suriya in the film. It turned out to be a massive box-office success in his career. Later, Mahesh and Murugadoss joined forces for Spyder, which underperformed at the box office.

Idiot

Interestingly, Idiot was initially offered to Mahesh Babu, but he believed it was too mass-oriented at the time when he was exploring more serious roles. So, he rejected the offer. The director then offered the role to Ravi Teja who became an overnight sensation with the film. Written and directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film also stars Rakshita, Prakash Raj, Giribabu, and Narsingh Yadav in important roles.

Leader

The film Leader was initially offered to Mahesh Babu before Rana Daggubati stepped in. Mahesh declined the role because it demanded a substantial physical transformation for its action-oriented storyline. The film centred on a Naxalite movement in Telangana, which became a major box office hit.