May 24, 2017
What started off as a mere vision in
filmmaker S.S. 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 IANS 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 upto 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.
Prabhas says the pressure was more on him and the whole team of
"Baahubali" when they were making the first part as it established the
film right from the start.
"Everything had to be faultless in order to make 'Baahubali' what it is
today. Reaching perfection, giving the film the kind of grandeur it
has, the VFX, and the characters -- all these elements set just the
right environment for the film. Part two was eagerly awaited because
part one really worked for the audiences," he said.
"'Baahubali' has definitely increased hopes for a lot of regional film
makers. After all, what I have learnt is that it only takes one
'Baahubali' to enter into the audiences' hearts and cross the
boundaries," he added.
Talking about his preparations for his role, Prabhas said: "A character
like Baahubali required a preparation that I had to undergo mentally
and physically. From undertaking a strict routine and a lifestyle which
helped me become the character physically to knowing the character's
depth and a lot more.
"What was more of a task was to maintain a consistency of the character
and playing the father-son duo. To understand the emotions and
sentiments from a father and son's perspective and enacting both sides
of it wasn't easy," added Prabhas, who played a double role of
Amarendra Baahubali and his son Mahendra Baahubali in the franchise.
The 37-year-old, who started his career with Telugu film "Eeshwar" in
2002, says acting was not his childhood dream.
"I never thought I will pursue acting because I was a shy person.
Around the age of 18 or 19 it struck me that I want to be an actor. I
told my dad (producer Uppalapati Surya Narayana Raju) and uncle about
it, they felt very happy," Prabhas said.
"As an actor, 'Baahubali' has given me so much that I can't explain in
words. It's a character that will always be a part of me," he added.
While the "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" hangover doesn't seem to sober
down at the box office anytime soon, Prabhas is now gearing up for his
next project "Saaho", to be directed by Sujeeth.
"'Saaho' is my next project. It's a present day film, and it would be
releasing in three languages -- Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. I have started
preparing for my character. We would be starting the shoot shortly,"
Prabhas concluded.