Baahubali did not just break box office records, it changed Prabhas’s career trajectory. The SS Rajamouli epic turned him from a beloved Telugu star into a pan-India superstar overnight. But with massive success came massive pressure. In a candid new documentary, Prabhas has opened up about the sleepless nights, the difficult decisions, and the enormous weight of expectations that followed Baahubali.
Prabhas On How Baahubali Changed His Career
Speaking in the latest Netflix documentary Baahubali: The Torchbearer, Prabhas reflected on the film’s massive impact. He credited it directly for the grand scale of everything that followed, from Saaho’s massive opening to Radhe Shyam’s iconic ship sequence to Kalki 2898 AD.
Prabhas In Baahubali
He specifically pointed to Saaho’s first-day numbers in the Hindi belt as proof of Baahubali’s power. “Saaho’s first day collections in the North were around Rs 26 crore,” he said, calling it “really shocking.” He was clear that none of it would have been possible without Baahubali laying the groundwork first.
He also recalled that before Baahubali, his movies were made on budgets of Rs 20 crore to Rs 40 crore. Prabhas looks back on Baahubali with deep gratitude. “We had the mother, the great Baahubali, which made it possible for us to go on and make Kalki and Salaar. It’s all because Baahubali happened first,” he said.
Why Baahubali Gave Prabhas Sleepless Nights
As thrilling as Baahubali’s success was, it brought enormous stress along with it. Prabhas admitted that figuring out what film to make next was one of the hardest challenges of his career.
“What’s next for me? A high-packed drama like Baahubali? Something more visual? But that was Rajamouli,” he said, reflecting on the pressure he faced at the time.
The team considered many options, a screenplay-driven film, a love story, and various other directions. Discussions were also held with Prashanth Neel and Nag Ashwin during this period, both of whom would eventually go on to direct him in Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD.
Prabhas shared, “I couldn’t sleep properly for two or three years after Baahubali. The level of responsibility in every department suddenly increased a thousandfold. Those were the most stressful years of my life,” he said.
Upcoming Prabhas Films
After the success of Animal, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga is collaborating with Prabhas for the first time in Spirit, a cop action thriller set to roll out in 2027. It is already one of the most anticipated films in India.
Salaar: Part 2 Shouryanga Parvam, directed by Prashanth Neel, is also in the pipeline. Additionally, Prabhas is currently shooting Fauji, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, a pre-independence period drama. Kalki 2898 AD Part 2 is also in the works, continuing the sci-fi epic that grossed over Rs 1,000 crore worldwide.