Prabhas says Baahubali has raised hopes of regional filmmakers
What started off as a mere vision in filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s mind in 2012, has today become a phenomenon of sorts in Indian cinema. Actor Prabhas, who invested four years to the two-part Baahubali franchise, says he would have happily given more time to the project which he feels fortunate to have been a part of.
After the stupendous success of Baahubali: The Beginning in 2015, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has set an unprecedented record for Indian cinema by raking in over Rs 1,500 crore (almost $180 million) worldwide — giving Prabhas a visibility he had never predicted for himself.
“I have my strong faith, respect and belief in Rajamouli sir. The fact that he believed I could play Baahubali was huge for me. If needed, I would have even given seven years of my life for Baahubali, as such characters are rare to play in a lifetime for any actor. I consider myself very fortunate and lucky for it,” Prabhas told over email.
Despite success of both the parts — Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion — Prabhas still feels “unfamiliar” from the project.
“When we started work on Baahubali, my sheer aim was to be able to live up to the imagination that Rajamouli sir had in mind. As an actor, my intention was to bring up Baahubali live on screen for the audiences. I never even expected in my wildest of dreams that the film would grow on to become a phenomenon of sorts. The feeling is ineffable today,” he said.
