At a media interaction in Hyderabad the other day, when Mahesh Babu was asked why he hasn't worked in a Hindi film, the Telugu superstar joked Bollywood can't afford him.
'I may sound arrogant... I did get a lot of offers in Hindi. But I think they can't afford me,' he had said.
'I don't want to waste my time. With the stardom and love I have 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,' Mahesh Babu was reported as saying.
The comments became controversial with trolls dissing Mahesh Babu for his seeming arrogance.
The affable superstar sets the record straight.
"It was said in a lighthearted way," Mahesh Babu tells Subhash K Jha.
"Does anyone seriously think I'd comment about fees in a public place? And how would I know how much Bollywood pays its actors?"
So is he open to Bollywood offers?
'Of course! I'd love to do a Hindi film," he replies. "In fact, I'd like to do films in as many languages as possible. But Telugu cinema will always remain my priority."
Mahesh Babu's Hindi debut is closer than his fans imagine: S S Rajamouli will direct Mahesh Babu in a film that will be a Hindi-Telugu-Tamil tri-lingual.
