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.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 25, 2019)

Till 2015, Prabhas was known as a Telugu film actor. One mega film — S S Rajamouli’s Baahubali — changed the course of his career. Today, he is a pan-India star, and the Baahubali hangover lingers on. It’s hard to believe, but his larger-than-life character in the movie is a stark contrast to his down-to-earth and reserved persona off-screen. Point it out, and the actor admits that he’s lazy and extremely shy in front of a crowd. With his next film, the trilingual Saaho, gearing up for release, the 39-year-old actor spoke to BT about the pressures that come with expectations from three film industries, cross-pollination in cinema and why he will never enter politics. Excerpts:

Baahubali and Saaho have two things in common — grand action scenes and you leading the show. However, Saaho is evidently different from the period film that catapulted you to pan-India fame. Clearly, a lot rides on your shoulders to bring this film a promising opening. Your thoughts…
I didn’t have that pressure when I worked on Baahubali, but this time around, the pressure is indeed high. I’m not the only one feeling it; the entire team feels it because everyone has worked hard on this project for about two years now. The response to the trailer of Saaho has somewhat eased that pressure because viewers seem to have liked what they have seen. Yes, the Baahubali effect will definitely be there; it’s not worn off yet and probably, never will. While I don’t want people to forget Baahubali, I don’t want them to recall it while watching Saaho. We wanted people to see me in a new avatar and we have consciously worked towards that. Also, for any film to work, it has to have content that appeals to people. That is what worked in Baahubali’s favour. I know that expectations are high because I’m a part of Saaho. If things don’t work out well, it will impact me, but we’ll think of that when we get there.

When Rajamouli approached you for Baahubali, he was already an established filmmaker. After working with him, you chose to work with Sujeeth (director of Saaho), who is just one-film old. Were you at any point apprehensive about the decision?
The pressure for this film to work is on each one of us and every film has its own risks. Having said that, the makers of this film have introduced a lot of new talent in the past. Sujeeth, too, has been a part of many projects before. The stress is high because we didn’t think that our budgets would escalate so much, which adds an element of risk. After Baahubali, we were pondering over what we should come up with next. We wanted to make a love story, but couldn’t find the right script. That’s when Sujeeth told me about Saaho. He has worked hard to add scale to the script. We also have a strong screenplay. When we heard the final narration, we were sure that we could go ahead with this film after Baahubali.

Talking about Saaho, there’s an interesting coincidence about it — while it is your first film in Hindi, it marks Shraddha’s debut in Telugu. Did the fact that you both were sailing in the same boat, help?
She was good with Telugu from the word go, she was also fantastic with romantic scenes. The chemistry seen in the film’s poster is thanks to her. On my first day of shoot in Hindi, I didn’t have lengthy scenes or dialogues. By the second-third day, Shraddha and I had hit it off well and I was getting comfortable with Hindi. I know how to read and write Hindi, but since it’s not our spoken language, there was a slight discomfort. I had a tutor on the set, who helped me speak correctly. Also, I insisted on the dialogues being written in Devnagri so that I could get my pronunciation right.

Coming back to Baahubali, has its success changed the way you choose scripts now?
Yes, that film changed the course of my career. If you look at the larger picture today, trends in cinema — from action to family to realistic films — change in a matter of months. So, it’s not easy to entertain the audience anymore. Even the biggest masters of cinema in the country can’t ensure what will work with the audience. So, for any actor, choosing a script is not easy. Today, people know me in almost all the states of India, thanks to my last film. But I don’t know what they will think of me after Saaho releases.

Do you realise that you are now catering to two different kinds of fan base — one that worships the star and the other that doesn’t forgive a star for making wrong choices in most cases?
Yes, I do realise that, and it’s an interesting space for an actor to be in. It’s hard to please people, who speak so many different languages and whose cinematic sensibilities are varied. The only way to work in a country with so much diversity in cinema is to go with a script that you firmly believe in. The rest will find its way.



At one point, competition for you was limited to Tollywood. However, after Baahubali, every top actor from across industries is potential competition for you. Does that ever unnerve you?
No… (smiles!) This divide between North, South, East and West will become a thing of the past. I don’t know when, but it will, for sure. Baahubali reiterated the fact that you can make a film, which can appeal to an entire nation. I remember, Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) had run in my mother’s village for around 100 days and my grandfather loved Salman Khan. It was a simple love story that appealed to so many people. Cross pollination between industries has always happened. Sholay (1975), too, inspired so many remakes down South. However, I don’t think we have consciously tried to make too many Indian films (movies that appeal to the audience across the country) in the real sense. Business is about competition, and instead of competing with one another internally, we can join hands and compete with the largest film industries in the world. We can take Hollywood head on. Slowly and steadily, there will be more films that will work nationally, erasing barriers and making us one of the biggest industries in the world. When Sachin Tendulkar hit a six, it didn’t matter if he hailed from Mumbai or Hyderabad. All that mattered was his batting skills.

As an actor, who has worked in almost all genres of cinema, what kind of films appeal to you on a personal level?
I like action films like Matrix, but my favourite film is Geetanjali (1989). It’s a Telugu film, which doesn’t even show a slap on screen. That’s me. I can like anything that strikes an emotional chord. As an actor, I only feel that I need to give something new to the industry.

With the kind of exposure you’ve had, have you ever thought about getting into filmmaking?
I don’t think I can take that route. As a director, there are too many things to pay attention to, why get tortured doing so much? (Laughs!) I love acting and I am happy doing that.

Many actors, particularly from the South, have stepped into politics. It almost seems like a natural transition in their lives as public figures. Will we ever seen you in the neta avatar?
My uncle (Krishnam Raju) was a star-turned politician, and once, during our summer holidays, we had campaigned for him. I was very young then, and I didn’t feel comfortable with it. I live for cinema and this is my life. It has made me who I am. Now, I am getting comfortable being in the public eye, but I can never become a politician. I respect them and I think they can do a lot for the nation, but I am not that person. I can only act and entertain.

It’s strange, but the fact is that most male actors from the South have not had a very long run in Bollywood. On the contrary, women from the South have ruled Bollywood for years...
The past will be what it is, but the future could well be different. Increasingly, we will have more actors who will cross over into different regions. At the end of the day, it is India that we’re catering to.

Your stardom has increased manifold in the last two years. Has it changed anything at home?
I was a star in Telugu cinema even before Baahubali released. My uncle was a star and my dad (Uppalapati Surya Narayana Raju) also made films. So, people at home know what stardom is. Also, it’s not like I had it easy. I had to work hard to go from one stage to another in my professional life. Baahubali was a dream that just happened. It made my family happy while it left me thinking, ‘Is this for real?’ My family is inundated with calls from people who simply want to meet me. In fact, my mother gets irritated at times. She just wants me to rest it out after a hard day’s work.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 22, 2019)

Prabhas has been jet-setting to different cities to promote his upcoming action thriller, Saaho. The film, which was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Hindi marks the 39-year-old actor’s debut in Bollywood. The day (rather, the night) we met, he had just finished filming for a reality show. Though he was a little fatigued, the Baahubali star never showed it and answered every question candidly — be it the immense pressure that he is under for Saaho, which comes after the massive success of his mythical period dramas that made him a national hero, wedding rumours or his link-up with South actress Anushka Shetty. Over to Prabhas...

Saaho is being touted as one of the biggest action films with a budget of Rs 350 crore. Did the success of Baahubali scale it up?
Yes, it was after Baahubali that the designing and the scale of Saaho become big; but the idea was in place earlier when Baahubali was being filmed in Telugu and Tamil. Even the script was ready. But after the success of the period drama, the action scenes were mounted up, the set-up was made bigger, and corrections were made to make the story stronger.

Was it your decision to start the film only after Baahubali 2?
Actually, after part one, we decided to take a gap of six months during which I thought we will shoot for Saaho because I knew Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) will take one-and-a-half years. But after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), I was so tired. I also felt it wouldn’t be good to shoot for a couple of months, stop and restart because, in between, I’d have to shoot for Baahubali 2. I cannot do the (different) looks or shoot them because I know the way it goes. And as I said, I needed some rest, so we decided to shoot after Baahubali 2.

Between the two action films, which one did you find more challenging?
Baahubali was definitely more challenging. Saaho is a contemporary film and the action scenes are designed to the next level. But in the former, everything was new. I always wanted to do a period film and the most exciting part was the war. In Saaho, the action is real. The truck that you see sliding in the trailer is real, it is not CG (computer graphics). That vehicle was travelling at a speed of 40 miles per hour and we needed to stop it. That stunt had to be done in real motion and it was extremely hard to stop the truck because the tyre was out of control. So, we got the drivers from the Hollywood film Transformers, and a lot of action and stunt masters from around the world to get that real feel.

Are you the kind who does all the stunts himself?
I do most of the stunts myself. When I was new to the industry, I was very enthusiastic and wanted to do all the stunts even those not captured by the camera, including the dupe shots! Later, when you start getting injuries, you think, okay, you’ll do what is necessary. I have done a lot of action films in Telugu, so, after some time, your body tells you that you need to be careful.

Saaho will be an acid-test for you coming on the back of Baahubali and it’s also your debut Hindi film.
Yes. I know. There is a lot of pressure on me, but the script is the master for any film, even for Baahubali. Also, because Saaho is releasing in so many languages, and the budget is so high. Sujeeth (director) worked for so many years on it. He and the producer are my friends, so it’s also a personal thing.

It was reported that you took a 20 per cent pay cut for Saaho...
Yes, because for films like Baahubali or Saaho, you can’t take whatever remuneration you get when you’re in demand. That part can instead be used to make the film bigger. These films require a huge budget and a lot of research because they haven’t been tried before.

How was the experience of filming it?
It was interesting because my friends were involved and they took a lot of care with details. Sujeeth is young and excited with fresh thoughts. He spent a lot of time on the film’s pre-production — on the script and planning. I think it was great of him to manage big names from the South like Sabu Cyril, Madhie sir and Sreekar Prasad in his second film, with such a high budget. There were (internal) fights but he managed so well, he never fought or showed his anger.

While you make your debut in Hindi, Shraddha Kapoor forays into the South with this film. Did you help each other?
The first day Shraddha spoke Telugu, I was shocked. She must have practised but still she was so good. She was excited about shooting the Telugu portion because it was new for her. The same thing happened to me while shooting Baahubali in Tamil because that was a first for me and it brings new energy. While filming Saaho, I used to ask several times whether my flow and accent in Hindi is right because words can be corrected later in dubbing, but the flow has to be right. I had a Hindi tutor, Kamal sir from Mumbai on sets and even during the dubbing.

Was it difficult to shoot simultaneously in different languages?
Yes, it was strenuous. I have been doing films for the past 16-17 years, where after you give a shot and it’s okay, you are done. But here you have to do it again in different languages and it becomes strenuous for actors and technicians because you have to capture the whole mood again. Sometimes, it’s that spark, which you get once. I am not a many take actor, I get done in a couple of shots, so it was stressful for me.

The film was to release on August 15 but was pushed by two weeks. Are you happy with the shift?
I’m happy because quality can’t be compromised, especially for a film one was working on for so many years. I understand it is not right for the business, and also for other films, which had to shift their releases because they already had plans. It is wrong from our side but for the quality of the film, I don’t mind.

Do you like doing action movies?
I like to do action as well as love stories. In Telugu, my favourite film is Geetanjali (1989) in which there is absolutely no action, not even a slap.

What would you like to do next?
I want to do a romantic movie or romcom after Saaho. But I will plan once the movie releases and I know the result.

You have had hits and flops in your career. How do you deal with it?
My first two films did not do well and I thought I will never get a hit. However, offers were pouring in and I got a big blockbuster. But then there was a phase when for three years my films were disasters. That was the hardest time. Then I had two hits and a flop. Next, Mirchi was a hit, Baahubali happened and the last four years have been really good. Now, after Saaho, let’s see...

Every time your film is up for release, there are rumours about your marriage, and there has been talk about you and Anushka Shetty dating each other...
I know there have been a lot of rumours since the last four years. Once I was linked to a politician, whom I had never met. That was one of the most hateful rumours, it was irritating. Anushka and I are friends and when we did Baahubali, we worked for four years together. People liked the love story and Devsena (her character). It is common to get linked with your co-star. But you cannot hide something like this for two years. And, why should we hide if there is something?

Prabhas on the Baahubali phenomenon, taking a pay-cut for his next action-thriller and why the post-production delays were justified
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 15, 2019)

It’s a scene straight out of a Hindi film. The hero and heroine slip out of a suburban theatre, skip into their getaway vehicle, and zoom off. The waiting media is caught unawares, losing precious minutes in finding transport before they can give chase. And just when they are closing in, Mumbai’s notorious traffic jams play spoilsport, allowing Saaho’s leads, Shraddha Kapoor and Prabhas, enough time to grab a bite before they face the firing squad to talk about their upcoming action-thriller.

“How soon can you get here, there’s no one to interview him?” the panicked publicist hollers. Equally panicked, one leaps into an autorickshaw and, wending through narrow by-lanes to arrive at the Juhu five-star, only to discover that the duo has already been cornered by a TV channel.

An hour later, one is sitting opposite the Baahubali, who is tall, strong and innocuous. He confides that as a kid, he had felt intimidated by the crowds and the lights when he visited the sets of his uncle’s (actor Upppalapati Krishnam Raju) films. “My uncle was strong... superb... but I knew this was not for me. However, as I grew up, I was drawn to this world thanks to people like Bapu who directed our home production, Bhakta Kannappa. When I was 18-19, I asked myself, ‘Can I be an actor?’ Since the idea no longer felt alien, I took it to my father (producer Suryanarayana Raju U), quit B.Com in the second year, and joined films,” Prabhas reminisces.

Starting with Eeshwar in 2002, the actor has featured in 25 films so far, the biggest being S S Rajamouli’s epic adventure, Baahubali: The Beginning in 2015, followed by Baahubali: The Conclusion two years later, which made him not just a pan-India hero but also found him a fan base in Japan—admirers from the Land of the Rising Sun are found dancing outside his house today. Prabhas acknowledges that the team was confident about the film’s prospects in Telugu and Tamil, but the phenomenal response to the period war-drama in Mumbai and up North shocked even them. “I am still wondering if it (franchise) really happened, it’s surreal. A few months ago, Karthikeya, Rajamouli’s son and a friend, called to inform that Skyfall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Baahubali 1 and 2 will be screened at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October in the ‘10 Years of Films in Concert’ series with live orchestra. Excited, I told him I want to be there too, feel a part of the magnum opus again,” he says.

Prabhas admits that while he doesn’t usually like being disturbed during a movie, he has watched some big films, including his own, alongside cheering fans, and in the case of Baahubali, it was an learning experience. “I was watching their reactions to see if they were connecting with a certain expression of mine or a shot Rajamouli had suggested. What was working? What wasn’t? Of course, eventually, it’s not about action or actors, the visuals or even the format, but eventually it is the script that works,” he explains. The actor, as part of Saaho’s prep, watched films with great screenplays on his director Sujeeth’s suggestion, including several Guy Ritchie films, Kevin Spacey’s Usual Suspects and Brad Pitt’s Seven.

Baahubali still plays on the mind. Which of the two parts was more difficult? “The Beginning, since the budget was so huge, and we weren’t sure of its reception up North. Even the second part exceeded our expectations,” he says. As an actor, which role was tougher? “I loved the challenge of the father’s. Shivudu was more casual, a destiny’s child, but Amarendra was a more designed character with depth in the way he looked, thought and spoke.”

Did Amarendra remind him of his own father? “I’ve never thought that way but with a beard, I look like my father sometimes. It feels good to look into the mirror and see his face,” Prabhas smiles. And what has been his family’s reaction to his Baahubali blockbusters? “They are shocked, and thrilled. My mother (Siva Kumari) told me I had to remain cool, not let success go to my head. Two years later, I asked her if I had changed, she shook her head but reiterated I should be careful. You know what mothers are like!” he laughs indulgently.

Saaho is the way forward now. Wouldn’t Independence Day have been a better release day for this lavishly-mounted action spectacle? Prabhas admits that they are disappointed that delay in post-production forced them to push the release to August 30. “But everyone has worked hard on the film for two years, the director for three. We could have earned so much more if we’d released it soon after Baahubali 2, but the idea was to make a quality film without compromising on time and money. I have to add that Bhushan (Kumar, producer) helped us make Saaho bigger and better. After so much effort, we could wait 15 days more if it meant we got to see the film without feeling disappointed on any level,” he reasons.

Tell him that buzz is, he’s been paid Rs 100 crore for the film and he chuckles, saying, “Baahubali has set the bar high, but Saaho was a Rs 250 crore film, so I knew I couldn’t charge my usual remuneration. I started out with a 20 per cent cut. Then, the film went slightly over and though my friends were ready to pay up, I couldn’t take their money knowing they were putting in so much without thinking of what they’d earn.”

Another rumour doing the rounds is that he will be tying the knot with Anushka Shetty after Saaho’s release. There’s also talk of them buying a love nest in Los Angeles. For the first time, you see a flicker of exasperation, “Anushka and I are very good friends but if there was something more, wouldn’t someone have spotted us together in the last two years? The question was posed to me on Karan Johar’s show too. I let Rajamouli and Rana (Daggubati, Baahubali co-star) answer it and even they stated that there was nothing between us. It wasn’t as if I had prepared them,” Prabhas states.

Has Rajamouli offered him another film? He shares that it’s only RRR for the director for now as he only focuses on one project at a time. For him, it’s an untitled love story he had committed to long ago and shot for just 20 days last year because of Saaho. “The director’s been waiting a long time,” he sighs.

When asked if he has noticed any changes in himself during his journey from shy guy to superstar, he mulls over the question and goes on to admit that he is exposed to different cinemas now, from Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada to Punjabi and Hindi. But he doesn’t see them as different film industries. “Irrespective of the language, I have to do my job well otherwise even in the Telugu film industry no one will want me,” he points out.

Prabhudheva drops by to meet him. Is a collaboration cooking? Prabhas chuckles, “Nothing at the moment, he’s been a friend for 15 years.” The Indian Jackson had got his actor-friend to do a special appearance in the Ajay Devgn-starrer, Action Jackson. “Yes, but I never saw the film,” Prabhas reveals, admitting that he hasn’t seen Baaghi either, which was reportedly inspired by his Varsham. But he has seen and loved Dangal. “What an inspiring story!” he exclaims. Can he see himself doing a remake of the wrestling drama? Baahubali shrugs, “I don’t know if I can carry it off. Aamir (Khan) was superb!”

He may be making his Hindi debut, but Mumbai has always been a familiar city for the actor, as he frequently visits friends here. “And I can read and write Hindi too,” he reveals, and noting the surprise on your face, admits that his ‘master’ on Saaho was surprised too. “Earlier, I wasn’t comfortable with the press interviews here, but this one wasn’t difficult,” Prabhas smiles as he rushes off to meet Prabhudheva who is waiting in his suite.


Prabhas and Anushka Shetty in the 2013 film Mirchi

MID-DAY (January 2, 2018)

It is in sun-drenched Los Angeles that South superstar Prabhas is currently unwinding. The filming of his trilingual thriller, Saaho, behind him, a sense of relief is evident as he reflects on his journey over the past two years. It is indeed the Shraddha Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh starrer that occupied his life over the past few months, but Prabhas is still basking in the aftermath of the success of Baahubali, a venture that made him popular, not only in Bollywood, but world over.

“Something very beautiful happened in my life [after Baahubali],” Prabhas says in an interview to GQ magazine for the publication’s January issue. “ It has given [me] something [that is] 10,000 times more than what I did before. Or, even more than that.”

The mammoth success of S S Rajamouli’s venture placed it among the highest-grossing Indian films of 2017. Giving tough competition to Hindi outings, the Telugu epic shook the rigid pan-Indian cinema hierarchies. Prabhas himself took home a whopping Rs 45 crore for the dual series, finding himself a spot alongside the highest-earning Telugu actors. Yet, when the discussion around financial stability crops up, the actor doesn’t fail to reflect on a past where money was often a concern.

Growing up, he recalls, his father, Telugu producer Uppalapati Raju, often faced financial troubles, “like most producers do”. “I went to college in buses,” he says, kicking off one Manchester United slipper to cross his left leg. “[Given] my family background, that was big, you know? When I went in the bus, people [said], ‘Yeah, he’s from a very big family,’” he recalls, adding, “So, these things helped me work harder.”

It’s taken 17 films for the actor to achieve the stardom that he enjoys today. Yet, it is with utmost lucidity that he recalls watching his first film with his family on the big screen. In 2002, a doe-eyed Prabhas, then 22, was offered a role in the small-budget venture, Eeswar, which was shot on an ancient analog camera.

Today, the actor describes the experience of watching himself on the 70mm screen for the first time as “ surreal.” “My mother and sister were sitting on [either] side of me. We were holding hands and watching [the film]... It didn’t do so well, but, we didn’t know until then if it’s good or amazing or what... It was very emotional.”

Even though he enjoys the unwavering adulation of his fans, Prabhas is uncertain about how his career will pan out. “After this, I don’t know where I’m going,” he says, adding, “It’s frightening to make fans happy... [They] have unconditional love.”

While he is still comprehending his career graph, the actor has his retirement plans in order. He dreams of fishing, and when the film industry finally lets him go, he will buy a property outside Hyderabad, rope in friends, and put his learning on aquaculture to use. But, for now, he’s South India’s biggest star since Rajinikanth, and Tollywood would rather he stay exactly where he is.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2018)

This man needs no introduction. Well, not after he flexed his perfectly greased, rock-solid bahu (arms) at the box office. Yes, the man is Prabhas, whose magnum opus Bahubali swept all records nationally and globally in 2017. Bollywood threw open its gates for him and suddenly, moviegoers across the nation were waiting with bated breath for one unanswered question — Kattapa ne Bahubali ko kyu maara? (in Bahubali 2: The Conclusion).

But even after all the adulation and success, the actor remains a man of few words. He believes in letting his action speak out loud, literally. Recently, the actor, who rarely gives interviews, got chatty with us about the landmark year (2017) of his career, his life after the epic drama, his affair with Bollywood and his step to superstardom.

“Bahubali was a life-changing experience. Without that film, people wouldn’t have recognised me across the country. I have done good Tamil films, too, but after Bahubali, people across cultures and languages started recognising me, including the overseas audience. S S Rajamouli (director) knew that he was making something big, given the budget and scale of both the films, but the response that we got was beyond expectations.”

‘Instead of saying that the script does not work, we say that the actor didn’t work in the role’
Ask him if there was a huge difference in his life before and after Bahubali, and he’s quick to reply, “Yes, you can definitely say that there was a life before and after Bahubali. This was a once-in-a-lifetime movie. I definitely feel that it has been a huge change for me, even my old dubbed films got an opening after three-four years, and they enjoyed a good run.”

This year, the actor has moved on to other films, like the trilingual Saaho with Shraddha Kapoor, but he fondly reminisces the five years that he spent living as Bahubali. “Walking into such a grand set every day is exciting for an actor. I was part of a great wonder, so the experience didn’t ever exhaust me. It’s just in the last one month of the shoot that I felt that I should do something else. I told Raja also that I wanted to do something else now,” he says. In the same breath, he adds, “During the first part, the pressure was far more, as we didn’t know how the Hindi-speaking audience would react to it. The Tamil and the Malayalam audience are slightly different, so when it worked with the Hindi audience, we were shocked. But Rajamouli made a universal film, so that made a huge difference. His vision is larger than what you can even imagine. Someone like Karan Johar backing the film also helped a lot. Initially, we wanted to make part one and two together, but then Raja thought that the script was becoming too long, and he wanted to focus on many characters like Kattappa, Devasena, Shivamani and Avantika. Of course, the question — Why Kattappa killed Bahubali — kept the audience engaged for a year.”

About Saaho, he adds, “Our director (Sujeeth) was very keen to have Shraddha on board. When he discussed it with the producers and all of us in the team, everyone felt that Shraddha is perfect for the role and luckily, she accepted the film.”

‘ANUSHKA (SHETTY) AND I ARE JUST GOOD FRIENDS’
The Friday fate is every actor’s nightmare, so for an actor to devote five years of his life to one ambitious project was a humongous risk. “I was never insecure about how the film would turn out. I am from the film background, so I know how it works. Even if Bahubali didn’t work, I would treat it like — here is a film I gave the kind of time in which I could have done three films and it bombed. So what? I put the maximum effort on the greatest film. I knew Raja could make the greatest film in Indian cinema, and this was the biggest opportunity of my life, so I didn’t want to miss it for anything,” he asserts.

During the course of filming Bahubali, rumours had sparked about love brewing between his co-star Anushka Shetty and him. Any truth to that? “When you are paired opposite someone on screen (for so long), people tend to link you up with them. As for Anushka and me, we are just good friends,” he clarifies.

‘PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH INDIAN STORIES’
What is interesting is that in today’s times when we are talking about new-age cinema, urban stories et al, India’s fourth biggest blockbuster, Bahubali, was an epic film. It was a fantasy drama rooted in Indian ethos and tradition, albeit told in a very Indian style, presented with the grandness of new-age special effects.

It goes to prove that stories that are purely Indian in nature are still very close to our hearts, right? He spontaneously replies, “People want to watch Indian stories. There was a time when Mughal-E-Azam was the most grand cinema that was made. Bahubali was Rajamouli’s way of saying a story, but we all are somewhere unknowingly still inspired by epics like the Ramayan, Mahabharat, and stories from the Amar Chitra Katha. These stories will always be inside us. We make modern films, but then again, something in us wants to revisit historic films and tales from the past. After 10 years, we might get bored of all this, and make something else.”

‘I HOPE THAT I NEVER LET STARDOM GET TO MY HEAD’
Talk to him about working in Bollywood and watching Hindi films, and he says, “I watch a lot of Hindi films; I live in Hyderabad, where 60 per cent of the people speak in Hindi. I am getting good offers from Bollywood; I had okayed a script three years ago. It is a love story that I will do post Saaho.” What about friends in Bollywood? “I made a good association with Karan Johar; if I want anything, I think I can ask him. He has helped us a lot. In fact, I met some actors (from Bollywood) in Karan’s house. They were all very chilled out.”

Now that he has made an entry into BTown circles, we ask him if stars down South are different, in the way they interact with each other. “There might be some small regional differences, but they are all generally very cool. I think that Bollywood stars are more chilled out than actors in Tamil or Telugu cinema, though the new generation of actors (down South) are also more chilled out,” he says.

For an actor who is now at the top of his game, Prabhas is grounded, humble and keeps a low profile. “From my first film, I was like this. While dubbing for Bahubali, Karan Johar told me that publicity is important. Basically, I am a shy person,” he explains.

About being high on success, he says, “I hope that I never let stardom get to my head. I always have my childhood friends around me; some of them are my producers, too, and for them, it doesn’t matter if I am doing films. They just feel happy for me. I have grown up with them, so they don’t see me as a star. I have the best people around me, so if I let success go to my head, they will be the first to put a hammer to my head.

South actors have a massive fan following, they are put on pedestals and worshipped by their fans. Does all that pressure make him fiercely competitive? “There is competition in every industry. Healthy competition is something that helps you get better and better. So, in that way, I am competitive,” he replies.

‘IF THE SCRIPT IS NOT GOOD, THE FILM WILL NOT WORK’
To break away from the larger-than-life image of Bahubali is also no mean feat. Will filmmakers be able to downplay that aura with ease and cast him in roles that are closer to reality?

“Well, in Hollywood, the guy who plays Batman and Spider-Man also plays normal characters. The biggest stars in the world want to play different characters. We can’t give the excuse that because an actor played a superhero in his previous film, his next one won’t work. If the script is not good, the film will not work. Instead of saying that the script does not work, we say that the actor didn’t work in the role. That is the problem. I was doing a lot of action films and people loved me in those movies. After that, I did a small love story and it was a hit as the script was good. People forgot that I had done so many action films and started liking me in the love story,” he explains.

Apparently, Prabhas had never set out to be an actor. With time, choices changed. And fate too. Today, he’s titled a superstar, and that’s a mighty leap. But he quickly reacts to that and says, “Not yet, but I’m hoping one day I will be a superstar."