‘Baahubali’s success brought crushing stress; couldn't sleep for years’

Hyderabad: Actor Prabhas has revealed that the unprecedented success of SS Rajamouli's Baahubali, the epic duology, brought not only nationwide fame but also years of intense mental pressure, as the film completely transformed both his career and the Telugu film industry.

Speaking in the documentary "Baahubali: The Torchbearer", Prabhas said the blockbuster changed the scale of Telugu cinema overnight, forcing him to confront enormous expectations over every career decision that followed. The actor admitted that the burden of choosing his next project became so overwhelming that he struggled to sleep properly for nearly two to three years after the film's release.

According to Prabhas, Baahubali's success dramatically expanded the commercial reach of his films. He recalled that Saaho earned nearly Rs 26 crore in North India on its opening day alone, a figure he had never imagined possible before Baahubali. He credited the franchise with creating the nationwide market that enabled such collections.

The actor also said Baahubali gave filmmakers the confidence to mount his subsequent projects on a much larger scale. Before the epic franchise, his films were typically produced on budgets ranging between Rs 20 crore and Rs 40 crore. The commercial freedom created by Baahubali later made ambitious productions such as Saaho and Radhe Shyam financially possible.

Prabhas said he spent months debating what kind of film should follow Baahubali, uncertain whether audiences expected another emotionally driven epic or an even grander visual spectacle. During that period, he held discussions with directors, including Prashanth Neel and Nag Ashwin, before eventually deciding to pursue a romantic film.

He added that the same pressure ultimately shaped the path that led to later blockbusters such as Kalki 2898 AD and Salaar, making Baahubali the defining turning point of his career.