When Baahubali The Beginning’s long production frustrated Prabhas to the point of quitting: I really felt ‘enough’

SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus Baahubali: The Beginning completes seven years of its release on July 10. The film revolutionized how period films are made in India and also gave birth to the concept of pan-India films, a term that has gained prominence since. Before its release, the movie took over two years to film as well. In an old interview prior to its release, the film’s lead star Prabhas had actually confessed that the production schedule frustrated him so much he wanted to quit. Also read: Prabhas opens up about Baahubali 3: ‘It’s in the hands of SS Rajamouli’

Baahubali: The Beginning and its sequel Baahubali: The Conclusion together earned over ₹2400 crore. The first film began shooting in 2013 and it was released almost two and a half years later on July 10, 2015. The cast–Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, and Ramya Shetty–all shot for over two years in a massive production schedule.

Speaking with IndiaGlitz in June 2015, a month before the film’s release, Prabhas revealed there came a point when he wanted to quit the film. He said, “After 250 days, I really felt ‘enough!’. Now let’s just watch the film. I called and asked Rajamouli to show me some rushes because I was really getting frustrated. He would show some visuals and all and how the film is going to be. Then I felt it was going to be fine.”

Eventually, he did finish the film and returned for the concluding second part as well. The two-part Baahubali saga was set in the fictitious kingdom of Mahishmati with Prabhas playing crown prince Amarendra Baahubali and his son Mahendra. Rana Daggubati played his cousin Bhallaladeva, the film’s primary antagonist. Written by V Vijayendra Prasad, the film was praised for its scale and visual effects.

Baahubali: The Beginning grossed over ₹600 crore at the box office upon its release, making Prabhas and Rana household names outside the Telugu industry as well. The film franchise has since spawned a spinoff book series and an animated series. A Netflix prequel series called Baahubali: Before the Beginning, co-directed by SS Rajamouli, is currently under production.

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