Director Gautham Vasudev Menon’s acclaimed 2010 Telugu romantic drama Ye Maya Chesave became a cult classic and marked the debut of Naga Chaitanya. But in a recent podcast, the director revealed that the film was originally written with Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu in mind.
The project was initiated by Mahesh’s sister, Manjula Ghattamaneni, who was also the film’s producer. Menon shared that he had complete creative freedom to develop the script. However, contrary to Mahesh’s expectations of an action-packed film, Menon wrote a romantic drama instead. Known for his stylish action films like Gharshana and Surya S/o Krishnan, Menon was likely perceived as a director who would deliver a grounded, high-octane Telugu entertainer.
Mahesh Babu, by that time, had already solidified his mass appeal with action hits like Pokiri, Athadu, and Okkadu. So when he realized that the film was a love story — and not the action film he had anticipated — he chose to walk away from the project. Menon mentioned that Mahesh felt his audience expected him to continue with the action-hero image, and a romantic lead role didn’t align with his career vision at the time.
Interestingly, the original climax of the film was even more cinematic, with the male lead arranging a helicopter for a dramatic reunion sequence. Though that version never made it to screen, Ye Maya Chesave still went on to become a significant success with Naga Chaitanya and Samantha in the lead, and is remembered for its poetic storytelling, soulful music, and emotional depth.
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