Chhaava, Pushpa - Mahesh Babu Rejected Blockbusters

Superstar Mahesh Babu is known to choose subjects that appeal to not just his fans but to a wider audience base in the Telugu stars. The Tollywood star, who has been giving chances to different directors, is all set to collaborate with SS Rajamouli for a globe-trotting pan-world adventure. The movie is riding high on expectations and Mahesh has all the opportunity to take his stardom to a global level.

Traditionally, Mahesh hasn't been comfortable expanding his stardom to Tamil and the Hindi markets. He has always stuck to his strengths and played to his humongous fanbase in the Telugu states. Despite his peers' movies doing great business across the country, Mahesh's movies failed to do so. 

After Spyder's debacle, Mahesh strictly picked projects that cater to the Telugu states and delivered good hits. However, a point to be noted here is that pan-India projects have always come to Mahesh Babu. It was widely reported after Pushpa-1's blockbuster success that Sukumar's first choice for the movie was the Tollywood Superstar himself. For reasons unknown, Mahesh didn't say yes to the project and it landed on Allu Arjun's lap. 

Similarly, after Chhaava's humongous success, it's widely reported that Mahesh Babu was the first choice for director Laxman Utekar for this project. The director allegedly waited for years for Mahesh Babu to say yes to this project and with the final nod not coming from him, he approached Vicky Kaushal and made this movie a giant hit. 

Audiences up North are flocking to the theatres to watch the tale of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Vicky Kaushal's portrayal is being hailed as the best. Also, Akshaye Khanna, who essayed the role of Aurangzeb, is getting equal praise for his acting. Overall, Chhaava breathed life back to the Bollywood box office which started on a dry note in 2025. 

Coming to Mahesh Babu, he is all set to compensate for his fans' years-long Pan-India wish with the Rajamouli film. Even without an official announcement, the movie is already trending widely and is one of the most anticipated projects in the country. The maverick director will give a memorable film for Babu and his fans.