SS Rajamouli Reveals How Baahubali Team Dealt With 'Disaster' Verdict For Film: We Were Troubled

Baahubali franchise changed the face of Indian cinema forever. It introduced the concept of pan-India films to modern-day audiences and storytellers and achieved box office feats that remain unmatched even today. Marketed as "India's biggest motion picture" at the time, Baahubali (2015) was one of the most expensive films made in Indian cinema. However, the reaction to the Prabhas starrer, which later scripted history, was not good initially and gave the stakeholders sleepless nights.

Baahubali a disaster? How the core team reacted to the initial response

In the recently released documentary film Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli, the team of Baahubali opened up about the initial "disaster" talk around the film, especially in the Telugu states, and how it left Rajamouli and the producers troubled and blanked out.

SS Karthikeya, Rajamouli's son and one of the producers of his films, said, "My heart is sinking even thinking about it right now. We were planning to go for the 6 am show. At about 3 am in the night, there were a lot of negative reviews. People were trashing the film, my dad. Saying it's a waste of money. Forget part 2, how are we going to get out of this first? That was the question in my mind."

Producer Shobu Yarlagadda added, “The reactions were not as euphoric as the talk. It was a big letdown.” Rajamouli shared, "In my two Telugu states the talk was not good. The thought in my mind was I had put Shobu (Yarlagadda) in a lot of trouble. It was surrealistic. We were troubled, really troubled."

The turnaround

However, the film witnessed a turnaround due to good reception in the single screens and went on to do exceptional business, setting the stage for Baahubali: The Conclusion, which was even bigger in scale and reception. "But it changed overnight. People told us that families have started coming in. Collections from the matinee were increasing. They were mindboggling," the director added, as he looked back at the time.

Yarlagadda shared, "I blanked out when it didn't work, my reaction was the same when it picked up. I regret not cherishing at the time."