Baahubali 1 lesser-known fact: SS Rajamouli wanted to shelve it and do a boxing film with Prabhas

Director SS Rajamouli's first global hit Baahubali: The Beginging was released on this day eight years ago. And, as they say, rest is history. The movie not only propelled Rajamouli and Prabhas to global stardom overnight but also ushered in a transformative era in Indian cinema.

The significance of Baahubali 1's impact on the film industry cannot be overstated. It introduced a new chapter in the history of Indian cinema, dividing it into two distinct periods: before Baahubali and after Baahubali. The movie's colossal impact continues to reverberate throughout the industry to date. 

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However, what many might not know is that Rajamouli initially had reservations about the project due to the monumental production cost. On the film's eight anniversary, an old video of Prabhas' speech on the film's success as surfaced. In the video, he thanks producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni for beleiving in Rajamouli's vision and talents. 

"When we first started the film, Baahubali, we had a budget in mind. There was only one part. But, when we developed the story and characters, we split that into two parts. When we calculated the expenses, we were confronted with a budget that had never been seen before in the Indian film industry. In fact, the eventual budget was twice as much as the original estimate," he recalled. 

He went on to reveal that Rajamouli had expressed concerns about the mounting budget and even offered the producers an alternative boxing film. The director feared the financial risks involved for the producers, distributors, and exhibitors. However, Shobu and Prasad's unwavering confidence in Rajamouli and the story pushed them to take the plunge, even if it meant risking everything they had.

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"The producers encouraged Rajamouli to take the risk, and they put everything they had into this film. Rajamouli is a genius, the mastermind behind everything, but these producers were his backbone," Prabhas expressed his gratitude.

Baahubali 1 went onto to collect more than Rs 600 crore from its worldwide ticket sales. And Baahubali: The Conclusion created history by becoming the first film to collect Rs 1000 crore at the box office and raising the domestic box office potential to another level.