Prabhas talks to Telugu360.com about marquee movie Bahubali, his experience working with ace director S.S. Rajamouli and about Bahubali part 2. He looks a wee bit tired giving marathon interviews as the D Day approaches. He says he enjoyed every bit of the two and half years of shoot. The happiest moment being watching the final product and the sad part is having to go through a surgery. ‘There is hype, the product is very strong and I am super confident about the film’s prospects’, states the artiste and reveals that he is inclined towards working in Tamil cinema and hopes Bahubali will be a perfect debut down South.
His contribution: Everyone wishes to do a period film but this is a period film with war, with the biggest sets, greatest visuals seen in Indian cinema. There are a number of things that you will never be able to forget, such as the world’s biggest poster put up in Kerala. Rajamouli planned for a year and half, since I know his style I predicted it would be two and a half years, it is now three and half years. I feel that this is film that I can flaunt 50 years later. The only thing I can give to Telugu cinema is give my time, the rest have put in great risk, specially the producers. Rajamouli’s Bahubali wouldn’t have happened without them. I don’t know if people will accept me or not in the North but I want the whole country to love the film. I think this movie will be a good launch pad for me in Tamil and North India. I am never satisfied with my performance, but whatever little I saw I was very happy.
On home-sickness: Most of the time my friends would come to me when I get bored. When I’m homesick, I would go home and meet my mother — RFC is just two hours away. There would be days it would get hectic and I would stay back, but whenever there would be a gap, I would head home.
[pullquote position=”left”]Rajamouli believes story is most important thing and the visuals have to be created for this. A visual cannot be a separate identity and can’t be created for itself.[/pullquote]
About the movie: It is a commercial cinema with a classic touch. The power of women is something you will see, the three of them especially, Rohini notwithstanding. Katappa’s character has depth and woman I repeat reflects many angles and feelings and there is a take on casteism.
On diet and climax of Part 1: Lakshman was my coach, and I wouldn’t be able to do this without his guidance. I would want to eat something very badly especially carbs for Sivudu’s character and he would give me an alternative and say try this; for Bahubali I had carbs.Bahubali means strong arms, I did a lot of biceps and triceps and it looks big in the film and I would cheat once in ten days on the food.
Working with Rajamouli and Part 2: Rajamouli believes story is first important thing and the visuals have been created for this, a visual cannot be a separate identity and can’t be created for itself. We all wondered where he is going to cut the first part from the second and tried a lot of guessing but we couldn’t pin point but Rajamouli stopped at a correct point. He is a master at it. You will get a climax feeling though not 100 percent, even in the first part ending, a small twist and plenty of satisfaction but you won’t be disappointed.
Comparison with Black & White films: Today’s technology is 100 times easier, the material is so comfy not so heavy thanks to Sabu. I wonder how people acted sporting so much weight. I pay my respect to all the seniors and old timers who have worked in such period films with such heavy layer and in such lighting. Acting for a longer time is stressful and tiring and I worked for 380 days scenes out of which 280 consisted of action scenes. Some action master or the other would hang around there. I will come in the second reel and hang on throughout the film. Graphics are tougher for technicians and not for artistes, we are used to facing the cameras and act but the technicians should imagine, camera angle positioning etc..
About Locations: I love greenery and felt Kerala and Bulgaria were beautiful. I loved the forests in Kerala and Mahabaleswar had they had lots of moss, fog on the trees. The combination of green and moss was too good and I told my architect to create the moss in the guest house. We are starting the second part in September, I am taking a small break now.
Telugu360.com wishes Prabhas & Bahubali Team a Grand success !
(Sunita Yalavarthi)
