The total collection of the Hindi version S S Rajamouli’s magum opus “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” now stands at Rs 474.49 Crore and is nearing the 500-crore benchmark. The first week collection of “Baahubali 2” (Hindi) was an astounding Rs 246.47 Crore, followed by Rs 142.52 Crore in its second week and finally Rs 67.25 Crore in its third week. The fourth week’s collection at Rs 18 Crore has seen it beat Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots, the previous record owner. In all, it has grossed over Rs 1500 Crore worldwide since it’s release across 9000 screens worldwide.
Starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati in the lead roles, “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” was scheduled to release in 2016. However, the makers deferred the release to 2017. Truly it is a phenomenon. A South Indian movie loved by fans all over India and indeed the world! Even die-hard Bollywood fans are raving about it.
The cliffhanger in “Baahubali: The Beginning” stoked the curiosity that the sequel sought to quench with a well-crafted storyline, extraordinary visual effects, exemplary sets and vivid screenplay especially that of war scenes. The question, “Why did Katappa kill Bahubali?” drew millions to the theatres and they were not disappointed.
Baahubali is an offshoot of Indian folklore. K V Vijayendra Prasad, better known as the father of S S Rajamouli, penned the amazing script of Baahubali. A prolific writer, Vijayendra Prasad has written scripts for several Telugu films and Bollywood too, which emerged as the biggest blockbusters like Magadheera, Eega, Bhajrangi Bhaijaan., etc.
Here are the excerpts from his exclusive tete-e-tete with Cinderella Daryani
From where do you get the inspiration to write stories on periodic dramas such as the Baahubali?
Indian history, mythology books and folklore were sources of inspiration for the periodic drama movies as well as for Baahubali. Besides, my life experiences also played an important role while writing a script for Baahubali.
Was Baahubali an inspiration from Jainism?
Baahubali’s story is not inspired by Jainism. Baahubali is a popular name in our country. The name just came to mind when I was writing the character of Baahubali.
Would it have been possible to make a blockbuster movie like Baahubali, if we didn’t have such a rich Indian history?
Baahubali could not have been made without our history. The movie consists of many elements of the popular folklores. Look at the epic Mahabharata and Ramayana; these scriptures have very strong and influential characters. Indian history is our heritage as well as an inspiration.
Do you think Baahubali’s VFX, has set a standard for Indian movies?
Yes, as far as Indian content is concerned, it has one of the best visual effects.
Some segments of people deliberately prejudice movies on the basis of religion like the movie poster of Baahubali was morphed? What’s your viewpoint?
It is totally irrelevant and it should not be done.
How do you see the future of period dramas in India? Would you like to continue writing for period dramas?
It has a very bright future. It depends upon the requirement. If there is a demand, I will surely pen stories on that. My next project is Manikarnika. This movie is based on Jhansi’s warrior queen Rani Laxmibai, where Kangana Ranaut is playing a lead character.
You are coming up with a periodic serial. What is it about? Is it fact cum fiction?
The serial is totally fictional. Its story revolves around the conflict between the two old civilisations Dravidians and Aryans.
Which is your favourite genre to pen down stories?
The emotional genre is my favourite
