Baahubali OG Cast: From Sanjay Dutt As Katappa To John Abraham As Bhallaladeva Instead Of Rana Daggubati, Guess Whom Did Prabhas Replace? 8 Actors Who Rejected To Be A Part Of History!
Sanjay Dutt was initially on everyone's mind to play Katappa, but unfortunately, he could not be a part of Baahubali.
Sanjay Dutt & John Abraham Were Offered The Lead Roles In Baahubali! (Picture Credit: Instagram & IMDB)
Advertisement
SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus, Baahubali, is a part of history. The film made Prabhas a superstar overnight, and Baahuabali became synonymous with the actor. Similarly, the other actors from the film turned superstars. Be it Sathyaraj who played Katappa and the entire nation wanted to know Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyun maara or be it Ramya Krishnan as Rajmata who roared Mera Vachan Hi Hai Mera Shasan.
The film that was made in two parts took a lot of time to be made, and all the actors committed to the long schedules, sacrificing many months of their careers and lives. However, this commitment was something that not everyone could fulfill.
Before this star cast, a set of other actors were rumored to be the original choices for the films. These actors were approached or were about to be approached to play Baahubali, Devasena, Katappa, Bhallaladeva, Avantika, and others. However, these actors could not be a part of the film and, unfortunately, part of the history that Indian Cinema was about to make with the two Baahubali films.
Here is a list of actors who were approached or rumored to be considered for various roles in SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus.
1. Sanjay Dutt – Katappa
Sanjay Dutt Was Offered Katappa (Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
During an interview, writer KV Vijayendra Prasad once confirmed, “For Kattappa, we had Sanjay Dutt in mind. But then it was dicey as he was still in jail. The next option was Sathyaraj.”
2. Mohanlal – Katappa
Mohanlal Was Offered Katappa (Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
However, none has ever confirmed the rumor, but it still exists in the gossip mills that the seasoned actor was indeed approached or was being considered to play Katappa in the film. However, he could not take the time to allot such bulk dates to the film.
3. Sridevi – Rajmata Sivagami
Sridevi Was Offered Rajmata Sivagami(Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
The late actress was offered the role that was later played by Ramya Krishnan, and it was rumored that she demanded 10 crore. There were reports of Rajamouli calling Sridevi starry, and she threw tantrums about the price. In an interview with DNA, the actress once said, “First of all, I can’t believe he (Rajamouli) would talk like that. Secondly, I am not the kind to make any kind of demands. Whatever happened with Baahubali is in the past. Why are we talking about it now? There are so many roles that I’ve turned down in the past. I think it’s highly impolite to talk about the films you don’t do.”
Later, SS Rajamouli apologized for discussing the details on a public platform!
4. Sonam Kapoor – Avantika
Sonam Kapoor Was Offered Avantika(Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
On Neha Dhupia’s show No Filter Neha, Sonam confirmed that she was offered a part in the film. She confessed, “I haven’t seen it. Honestly, I have not seen the movie. I have heard the script, though. I was offered it (a role in the script). I heard the script, and it was incredible.” Reports suggest that she was offered the role of Avantika, which was later played by Tamannaah Bhatia.
5. Nayanthara – Devasena
Nayanthara Was Offered Devasena(Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
While Anushka Shetty nailed the character of Devasena, it was rumored that the part was first offered to Nayanthara. However, for reasons best known to her, she did not say yes to the film.
6. John Abraham – Bhallaladeva
John Abraham Was Offered Bhallaladeva (Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
Rumors suggest that SS Rajamouli was keen on John Abraham to play the negative lead in Baahubali. He even sent the script of the film to the actor but never got a reply from him. Later, he roped in Rana Daggubati to play the antagonist.
7. Viveik Oberoi – Bhallaladeva
Viveik Oberoi Was Offered Bhallaladeva(Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
When the actor was offered the role of Bhallaladeva, he had a lot of previous commitments, and reports suggest that he was not comfortable in allowing so many bulk dates to one film. Finally, it was Rana Daggubati’s fate that he turned Bhalladeva in the film.
8. Hrithik Roshan – Baahubali
Hrithik Roshan Was Offered Baahubali (Photo Credit –Instagram/IMDb)
Though the team refuted this strong buzz but, rumors were rife that Hrithik Roshan was offered the role of Baahubali. Rumors further suggested that the deal went kaput since Rakesh Roshan wanted to come on board as the producer, but SS Rajamouli did not accept the offer, and the consideration was dropped.
Some of these deals must have been actually made, and some might be rumors, but imagine if this original cast for Baahubali would have turned out successful; how many folds would it have changed the film!?
