Rahul Dev makes fun of Mahesh Babu's 'Bollywood can't afford him' claim: ‘He can’t speak Hindi'

Mahesh Babu had admitted turning down Hindi film offers, claiming Bollywood can't afford him.

Mahesh Babu is one of the biggest names in the Telugu film industry. Though many of his Telugu hits have been dubbed in Hindi, he has never starred in a full-fledged Hindi film. In fact, he had even addressed the same and famously quipped that “Bollywood can't afford him.” Now, in a new interaction, Rahul Dev, who worked with Mahesh in the 2002 western action-comedy Takkari Donga, spoke about the same and hinted that the real reason for Mahesh not working in Hindi films may be something else.

‘Mahesh Babu doesn't speak Hindi’

Mahesh Babu will next be seen in SS Rajamouli's Varanasi.

While speaking to Hindi Rush, Rahul brought up Mahesh's earlier collaborations with director Trivikram Srinivas and how the sensible cinema they made together struck a chord with the audience, making Mahesh a prominent face in the Telugu film industry. He said, "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."

When asked about Mahesh's previous comment—"Bollywood can't afford me"—Rahul winked and said, "Unko zuban nahi aati, sahi baat toh ye hai (He doesn't know how to speak the language, that's the truth)."

Bollywood can't afford me: Mahesh Babu

Mahesh’s next project is the highly anticipated Varanasi. The film is directed by SS Rajamouli and also marks the return of Priyanka Chopra to Indian cinema after a seven-year gap. The globe-trotting adventure also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and reportedly sees Mahesh playing dual roles—Rudra and Lord Rama. The film will release in theatres worldwide on April 7, 2027.