My dream is to make Mahabharata bigger than before: Baahubali director at #SouthConclave17
He is a filmmaker who makes our wildest dreams come true; whose visual landscaping of cinema is something straight out of a fairytale, and whose epic scale outmatches everything ever attempted before in size and ambition. He is SS Rajamouli and he’s the merchant of dreams we have been waiting for, and were only too glad to listen to at the India Today #SouthConclave17 unfolding in Chennai from January 9-10.
Team Baahubali, comprising director SS Rajamouli, art director Sabu Cyril, cinematographer KK Senthil and producer Shobu Yarlagadda, all came together and spoke with India Today’s Consulting Editor TS Sudhir on all things Baahubali at a session titled “How to Make A Spectacle: Regional, National, Global”. But Rajamouli made a stellar confession. He said: “My dream has always been to do Mahabharata on a scale not attempted ever.”
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| SS Rajamouli, merchant of dreams and director of Baahubali. [Photo: Indiatoday.in] |
Synonymous with humungous scales, lush colours and breathtaking cinematography, Team Baahubali came across as candid and self-effacing, while being acutely aware of the task at hand. Rajamouli said that every film he made before, taught him a little about Baahubali, where human beings are portrayed in bit-size and the backdrop is gargantuan, particularly the waterfall and the palace.
Art director Sabu Cyril said that the cinematography and scale of Baahubali has been epic, while KK Senthil mentioned that Rajamouli is always “thirsty for doing something more”.
Producer Shobu Yarlagardda put a number on project Baahubali and it came to Rs 450 crore, making it the most expensive undertaking ever in the history of Indian cinema. He added that though the remuneration was small, every rupee went into making of the movie, and everyone believed in it. He proudly exclaimed that such scales haven’t been seen in south Indian cinema, and even Bollywood.
Rajamouli said that the “actual product is always going to fall short of the dreams”, but “human emotions stay the same across the world, and when told in an affective way, language doesn't matter, is not a barrier”. He confessed: “Sometimes I am aware that I am putting my actors and crew in difficult situation, but I don't compromise on my visuals.”
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| A still from Baahubali. |
In a hat tip to Karan Johar, Rajamouli added that film is a rich visual medium, and that Baahubali has been lucky in getting great distributors.
KK Senthil in turn said that Rajamouli’s vision is very clear, and the sets are always an extrapolation of his vision, a translation into reality of something forged in the fire of imagination. Senthil said that the discussion has always been about the “right frame”, “getting the emotion right, how to get one step better” than the previous shot. He even said that the only competition that Baahubali 2 really has had is Baahubali 1.
We were told that now Baahubali will also come in myriad other platforms, such as a virtual reality exploration titled “The Sword of Baahubali”, which will be available in multiple pods across locations all over the country. In addition, there is a novel trilogy depicting the character Shivagami and her travails since she was a young princess to the time her great-grandson takes revenge for the death of his father. In addition, there will be a animated TV series, comic books and other paraphernalia to go along with the next edition of Baahubali, which will hit the theatres in the middle of this year.
#Baahubali director @ssrajamouli at #SouthConclave17: I was an average student but I dream https://t.co/JBbg3BrPJT pic.twitter.com/rdWWa3zEIK
— India Today Showbiz (@Showbiz_IT) January 9, 2017
Rahamouli said that even though his family is an intricate part of project Baahubali, “luckily my family keeps me grounded”. His father wrote the story, and his cousin has composed the hauntingly mersmerising music.
So, what next? Here comes the big declaration of intention. “My dream has always been to do Mahabharata on a scale not attempted ever,” Rajamouli said, without an iota of pride, but oozing volumes of confidence.
We even got to know that the Andhra government has invited Rajamouli to advice on the design and look of the new city they are planning - Amaravati – so as to tell the history and culture of the Telegu-speaking people.
“My inspirations come from Amar Chitra Katha, comic book stories,” he said.