Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 30, 2016)


Rana Daggubati, who features in Baahubali 2, confirms, “Two big films like Robot 2 and Baahubali 2 can never release on the same day. Also, they are yet to finish shooting and have a lot of work left. Then there is post-production and VFX, which takes up the maximum time for such films. So Robot 2 isn’t releasing in April, but we are definitely releasing our film on April 14 next year.”

Two sequels eyeing the same release date is almost always bad for business and inevitably, leads to divided earnings. And because these two sequels had blockbusters for their first innings, way too much is at stake.

On the face of it, Robot 2.0 and Baahubali 2 are very different films — one is futuristic, the other medieval — but they’re also similar in many ways. Both are expected to set benchmarks in terms of the use of VFX and carry the burden of being money-spinners like their predecessors were. Buzz of a clash wasn’t taken too well by the makers of either film, both plagued by delays.

Baahubali 2 was supposed to hit screens this year. Ask Rana about the delay and he reasons, “Although we had shot almost 50 per cent of the second portion before the first half released, the war scenes are bigger and grander now. So it is taking a lot of time, dedication and hard work. The VFX work this time is something to watch out for. Hence, we always had a feeling that Baahubali 2 might release only in 2017.”