Bollywood would never be able to match the scope of South Indian films, which have their own particular fanbase. With the introduction of OTTs, the audience for regional cinema, particularly South Indian films, has grown dramatically. More non-Hindi/non-English language content is now available thanks to subtitles.
Samantha Akkineni, Mime Gopi, Uday Mahesh, Azhagam Perumal, and Devadarshini were among the South Indian performers that appeared in the recently released web series Family Man 2.
While the linguistic barrier appears to be dissolving, numerous performers, even those well-known in the South, have refused to appear in these superhit Bollywood films.
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1. Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty, one of the most popular actresses in the South, rose to international prominence following SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali. Did you know she turned down Rohit Shetty’s Singham in 2011? She was offered the job that finally went to Kajal Aggarwal. Due to her hectic schedule, she has turned down a couple more Hindi films, including Ittefaq.
2. Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu has had a significant impact on Telugu film. He is well-known abroad, yet he has steadfastly refused to appear in Bollywood films. He seemed to enjoy staying true to his roots.
3. Fahadh Faasil
Did you know that renowned filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj had approached him about making a film?
“I’m still in contact with Vishal Bhardwaj. He had really emailed me a script that was just stunning. I’m hoping he makes it. What a lovely script. When I contacted him the other day, I begged, “Sir, please make it.” I’m hoping to do something there, but we’ll see “In one of the interviews, he was reported as stating.
Faasil has also stated that he has had offers from Bollywood. He stated that he may take on a position if he is confident enough to be a member of the industry. He feels that he only gets decent parts due of Malayalam films, and he would be eternally grateful to Mollywood for this.
4. Nayanthara
Remember the Chennai Express song “One to three four go on the dance floor”? Nayanthara might have shared screen time with Shah Rukh Khan, but she declined the opportunity for reasons best known to her. Priyamani, the actress from The Family Man, was later seen shaking a leg in the song.
5. Allu Arjun
According to rumours, one among the films given to Allu Arjun was Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaam. The film was supposed to be released in a variety of languages, and Allu Arjun was contacted to play the lead role. He is alleged to have turned down the picture for reasons only he knows. After that, Hrithik Roshan was approached, and then Salman Khan.
Allu Arjun was also approached about the Ranveer Singh-starrer 83, but he declined.
6. Nivin Pauly
Malayali actor Nivin Pauly had maintained that he won’t be comfortable doing films in Tamil, Telugu or Hindi, but at the same time, he said that he would want to push himself by crossing boundaries. Pauly was reportedly supposed to do a film with Anurag Kashyap. When the rumours began to circulate, his photo with the filmmaker became popular on social media. However, there was no further update. According to rumour, he was offered the character portrayed by Vicky Kaushal in Manmarziyaan.
Pauly was also the initial pick for Chhichhore, a film starring Sushant Singh Rajput. He once stated that he gave up his Bollywood debut for Kayamkulam Kochunn.
7. Rashmika Mandanna
Mandanna, dubbed “India’s National Crush,” had turned down a Hindi adaptation of Jersey starring Shahid Kapoor. She explained the reason for the rejection of the film in an interview with IANS. “Because of the decisions I’ve made up to this point, I’ve been given this chance. I don’t believe this is a poor decision. ‘Jersey’ requires a lot of you. It’s nearly genuine. I’m going mad right now because I’m just doing commercial films. Imagine attempting something like ‘Jersey’ and failing miserably.”