Filmmaker SS Rajamouli has made a shocking revelation about the early days of Baahubali, saying the film was initially labelled as “Indian cinema’s biggest disaster” on its release day. Despite becoming one of the most successful franchises in Indian film history, the epic saga had a tense and uncertain beginning that left the team fearing financial collapse.
In the Netflix documentary Baahubali: The Torchbearer, Rajamouli and producer Shobu Yarlagadda opened up about the massive financial risks involved in making the film. The production reportedly had no fixed budget, with costs escalating rapidly during filming. Yarlagadda revealed that certain sequences alone cost nearly ₹1 crore every four days, making it one of the most expensive Indian films at the time.
Rajamouli explained that the film’s success could not depend solely on the Telugu states, as recovery of the investment required strong performance across multiple languages. The team had placed significant hopes on pan-India acceptance, which was still an emerging concept in Indian cinema at the time.
However, the situation on release day was extremely tense. Shobu Yarlagadda revealed that the film was still facing a ₹70 crore deficit even as it hit theatres. “What we had spent minus what we had recovered left us ₹70 crore in the red,” he said, describing the financial pressure the team was under.
Rajamouli further recalled that while the film received glowing reviews in Hindi, the US, Gulf, and other international markets, the response in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was initially poor. He also mentioned how negative reactions and memes circulated online, including distorted imagery that left the team shocked and disheartened.
Actor Prabhas, who played the lead role, also reflected on the difficult moment, describing the release day as emotionally overwhelming. He admitted that the team had no idea how the situation would unfold and feared the worst for the film’s future.
Associate producer Karthikeya Vijay Yarlagadda recalled the panic within the team, sharing how social media backlash and early criticism left them on the verge of breaking down. He described an emotional moment with his father, producer Shobu Yarlagadda, during the tense release period.
Rajamouli also revealed that distributors were initially convinced the film had failed, with messages calling it one of the biggest disasters in Indian cinema. At that point, the team believed their careers might be over.
However, the situation changed dramatically within hours. Positive word of mouth began spreading rapidly, transforming Baahubali: The Beginning into a massive box office success. Over the following weeks, the film broke records across India and overseas, eventually establishing itself as a landmark in Indian cinema.
The Baahubali franchise, which began in 2015, starred Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, and Nassar. Its sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, went on to become one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, earning approximately ₹1,788 crore worldwide and redefining the scale of Indian filmmaking.