TOUGH TIMES AND TOUGHER DECISIONS

With the blockbuster Baahubali films under his belt, Prabhas recalls his total dedication

Ever since Baahubali 2: The Conclusion hit the theatres, lead actor Prabhas has literally had the entire nation swooning over his act.

Even as filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s epic drama started breaking one boxoffice record after another across all the segments and markets, the reel Baahubali sneaked out of the country for a much-needed break.

We caught up with the media-shy actor for one of his first interviews after the success of Baahubali 2. When we remind Prabhas that during the film’s promotions, he spoke about wanting a “break at any cost”, he laughs and replies, “Yes, it’s true. After I completed the shooting, the first thing that I wanted to do was to go for a vacation, and I’m happy that I am on a holiday right now.”

About the success of the Baahubali franchise — the first film was a big hit and the second has become simply massive — the actor says that the film team knew it would be something special, but still, “the kind of love and appreciation that the audiences have been bestowing upon us has been totally overwhelming”.

Will there be a Baahubali 3? Prabhas says that he’d love to return to the character. That prompts us to bring up the fact that he didn’t work at anything else when shooting for Baahubali — and the second film took five years to make. “I’d have given even seven years of my life for a film like this,” says the actor. “I realised that this is one film that would require all my dedication and determination. Imagine, only the action portions of the film took 300 days to complete. The schedules were extremely tough, as different portions [of the film] needed me to look different. So, if anything, I have only gained immensely as an actor from the Baahubali series.”

The lengthy shoot and the total dedication that Baahubali required put him in financial difficulties. “At first, the movie was supposed to be shot in two years, so yes, circumstances were tough back then, and it wasn’t an easy phase,” says Prabhas. “My friends and family asked me to take up other work, but I had my full faith in Rajamouli sir. Tough times call for tougher decisions.”