Saaho has made Prabhas Bollywood ready. The South sensation is liking the hustle and bustle of Mumbai and his love for vada pav will keep bringing him back
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 1, 2019)

On the eve of his film's release, South sensation Prabhas prefers "to run away somewhere." He's done his job, now let the audience decide. "I take off for a holiday," he says. It's always a well-deserved break considering the years that go into the making of every film of the Telugu star. For the last two years, he has been tied up with his new release, Saaho. He invested five years in the two-part Baahubali series, which hit screens in 2015 and 2017. Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyu maara was the question that haunted viewers for two years till the second part released.

The Telugu actor is aware that he will have to live with the Baahubali tag. "Expectations scare me," he says. "From the first part to the second part, it was like climbing from a mountain to scaling Mount Everest. Baahubali was a dream." He still pinches himself to know if it happened for real.

Low-Profiled
For most, the unassuming Prabhas remains an enigma. He prefers it this way "but now I have learnt to open up. I am more comfortable doing media interactions. Saaho has taken me to Bollywood." He has learnt how to do back-to-back interviews as well as the rounds of reality shows, where you have to play to the gallery. He even called Raveena Tandon his crush on Nach Baliye while promoting the film on the dance reality show.

Saaho has also made him Bollywood-ready but he still can't understand the paparazzi culture and airport look, which is non-existent in the South. He finds it rather amusing. Nor does he comprehend the rush to be here, there and everywhere when a film is up for release. Just like the way he chooses his films, he prefers working at this own pace. We catch up with him at a Goregaon hotel. Unlike Bollywood stars who travel with an entourage, there's only a manager accompanying him.

He is learning the hows and whys of B-Town. "Yes, I am open to doing Hindi films. Let's see how things work out." Though he understands the national language, he is not fluent in it due to lack of practise. "In the Hindi version of Saaho, I have delivered the dialogues with the help of a tutor. I do watch a lot of Hindi films." Another way to get familiar with the language.

Full Of Life
The publicity blitzkrieg for Saaho made him zip into Mumbai often. "Mumbai has a lot of energy, it's bustling but Hyderabad is home. My family and friends are there, so it will always be the place where I will go back to."

Prabhas has been relishing the city's street food. When in Mumbai, he lives off vada pavs. Saaho co-star Shraddha Kapoor also introduced him to Maharashtrian fare. "But I love north Indian food, especially naans and parathas. I am always looking for that perfect dish of butter chicken, that's my favourite too." He's glad that Kapoor stood by the project. "Shraddha is a performer. She respected the project despite the delays. It speaks volumes about her."

As Baahubali and Saaho required VFX and "the makers wanted the best, the projects took long to complete." He's a patient actor and had no qualms working with the 20-something director Sujeeth in Saaho. "He's a youngster, but he's terrific. He has worked with the best technicians in the South, so he has a firm grasp of the filmmaking process. The director is the captain of the ship, so we have to listen to him," he chuckles. Prabhas's next project is a Telugu love story, helmed by Radha Krishna Kumar. The film is slated to release next year. "I have already done a bit of shooting," he informs.

Turning 40
The South sensation turns 40 next month. Every time his film releases, his legion of fans wonder if he will tie the knot. He does not know what to say except laugh aloud. There has been tattle about him and South star Anushka Shetty. For the longest time there were rumours that the two are getting married. But nothing has happened as yet. "One thing is for sure, you will see me in more films now," he chips in.