When Suriya Was Almost Cast In Rajamouli’s Magadheera: Here’s What Could Have Been!

If the story of SS Rajamouli were ever to be told and he was asked to play the hero, one might wonder if he would take up the role. However, when it came to Magadheera, Rajamouli once approached Suriya with the film’s storyline, but Suriya turned it down—a widely known fact. To this day, Suriya expresses regret over that decision. Even Ram Charan has mentioned that the original vision for Magadheera was for Suriya to lead the film.

Suriya addressed this missed opportunity at the Rakshasudu movie event, candidly admitting that he still regrets turning down the role. He revisited these sentiments during the recent pre-release event for Kanguva, where Rajamouli, who was present, praised Suriya generously. Rajamouli, known for his admiration of impactful cinema, shared that Suriya inspired the concept of Pan-Indian films. Despite coming from Tamil cinema, he remarked that Suriya had successfully built a strong following in the Telugu industry.

Rajamouli also acknowledged that while Suriya often says he missed the opportunity to collaborate, he feels it’s the reverse—that he missed out on working with an actor of Suriya’s caliber. He noted that Suriya is known for prioritizing the story above all else, even above the makers. This mutual admiration led Suriya to share his feelings again during the event, saying, “Without any shame, I missed a train, sir. I’m still on the same platform, awaiting another opportunity to work with Rajamouli.”