Southern hitmaker S S Rajamouli, who is currently helming a Rs 150 crore epic, is ready for B'town and Aamir Khan

In Hyderabad’s sprawling Ramoji Film City, a movie set spread over an acre instantly catches the eye. Over 1000 junior artistes, wearing peacock feathers, are lifting a 100-feet statue, weighing nearly 20 tonnes. The gold-plated figurine bears a stark resemblance to Rana Daggubati, who plays the antagonist in the film being shot, Bahubali.

The film with a budget of over Rs 150 crore, is being directed by S S Rajamouli, known for blockbusters like Vikramarkudu (remade as Rowdy Rathore), Maryada Ramanna (remade as Son Of Sardaar) and Magadheera (Sajid Nadiadwala is remaking it with Shahid Kapoor). The Telugu bi-lingual with a Tamil version, Mahabali which is being filmed simultaneously, also features Southern stars Prabhas, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia.

“My father (writer-director K.V Vijayendra Prasad) wrote a story about the bitter fight between two cousins vying for a kingdom. It took me over a year to develop it as I wanted to make the film on a sweeping scale,“ says Rajamouli, who starts working with his crew, comprising over 250 technicians, at 6 am  and packs up at sunset.

His association with producers, Shobu Yarlaggada and K Raghavendra Rao, ensured that he can live out his grandiose dream on celluiod. “Like Eega (dubbed in Hindi as Makkhi) we want to reach out to an audience beyond our two Southern states. We will be dubbing it in Malayalam, Hindi and foreign languages,” informs the filmmaker.

The four-hour film, the costliest in Telugu cinema, is being made in two parts. A sizeable chunk of money has been spent on the sets-a sweeping kingdom with a towering statue, life-sized elephants and horses guarding its entrance. A museum nearby houses the props including fake pigs and a flying crocodile, swords and shields, drums and arrows.

Art director Sabu Cyril who bagged the National Award for Om Shanti Om and Krissh 3, has been working meticulously on these props for over a year. “A digital 3D replica of the storyboard was made before the actual construction began,” says Rajamouli.

What next? A Bollywood period drama? “Why not?” he quips. “I don’t want to be restricted linguistically. I don’t watch many Hindi films but I always find time to watch Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan’s films. I’d like to make a film with Aamir one day. I hope he agrees,” he smiles before striding back to his waiting kingdom.