Even after six years since Baahubali 2: The Conclusion was released, it remains the second-highest-grossing Indian film globally. SS Rajamouli’s franchise continues to have a deep impact on visual art and the film market, driving many significant projects currently in development.
Recently, Team Salaar – actors Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran and director Prashanth Neel – discussed the film with filmmaker SS Rajamouli for during an interview. Prabhas, who played the lead role in Baahubali, looked back and shared thoughts on its impact on his life, while the others also discussed how the two-part film served as inspiration for them.
“I was in Italy once, and suddenly a man came up, pointed to me, and said ‘Prabhas.’ He did not even speak English, yet he said ‘Prabhas’ and not ‘Baahubali.’ In my mind, I thought about Rajamouli. One film and that’s it,” Prabhas said. To this, Prithviraj added, “Some films are like that. They become way more than just a film. Baahubali is like a cultural phenomenon now. It’s way bigger than just a piece of cinema, and it means a lot, especially to people inside the industry.”
Prashanth Neel asked Rajamouli if Baahubali was initially planned as one film, and Rajamouli confirmed it. “Initially, it was planned as one film. As the writing progressed, it kept expanding. In the beginning, we envisioned it as a three-hour movie. However, gradually, it became evident that it would be four to five hours long if we put all the pieces together,” he said.
“Then came the idea of splitting it into two parts, which seemed crazy at the time since no one had that kind of concept, unlike now when almost all big films have a part two. So, I approached the producers, pointing out that due to the escalating budget, the only way to proceed with the movie was by splitting it into two. Prabhas was super excited, but he also insisted on leaving the decision to the producers. Once the producers gave their approval, we moved forward,” he added.
Neel mentioned that he really liked the interval block in Baahubali 2 and asked Rajamouli if he thought the question “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” would become so famous. Rajamouli said he didn’t expect it to be that big. He thought it would be a surprising and beautiful moment. “We knew it would be a shocking, beautiful moment, but I didn’t anticipate it becoming that big. In fact, we didn’t even coin that question, right? We noticed it on social media and adopted it later for promotional purposes,” he said.
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