Mumbai: Actor Rahul Dev has reignited the controversy over Mahesh Babu’s “Bollywood can’t afford me” remark with a sarcastic comment about the Telugu superstar’s Hindi-speaking abilities.
Rahul’s statement has sparked mixed reactions online, with fans debating whether it was a light-hearted joke or an unnecessary dig.
During a conversation with Hindi Rush, Rahul recalled Mahesh’s past collaborations with filmmaker Trivikram Srinivas, noting that the meaningful cinema they created resonated strongly with viewers and helped establish the actor as one of the leading stars of the Telugu film industry.
“Director Srinivas is a very sensible director. He (Mahesh Babu) was his first choice for several years and they did many films together
. They merge commercial with sense, that genre is not there in Hindi cinema. In Hindi, there is Ram Gopal Varma’s genre, the things Anurag Kashyap would write—that was one extreme—and the other is remaking Hollywood films,” Rahul was quoted as saying by the portal.
Asked about Mahesh’s “Bollywood can’t afford me” comment, Rahul quipped, “Unko zuban nahi aati, sahi baat toh ye hai (He doesn’t know Hindi, that’s the truth).”
During the trailer launch of ‘Major’ starring Adivi Sesh, Mahesh had shared that despite receiving several offers from Hindi cinema, he never felt the need to make a shift to Bollywood.
“I may sound arrogant, but I did get a lot of offers in Hindi. But I think they can’t afford me. I don’t want to waste my time,” the actor had said.
“The stardom and love I have here in Telugu cinema, I never thought of going to another industry. I always thought I will do films here and they will become bigger, and my belief is turning into a reality now. I can’t be happier,” he added.
Mahesh will next be seen in SS Rajamouli’s much-anticipated ‘Varanasi’, which also marks Priyanka Chopra’s return to Hindi cinema.