Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
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Also spelt ‘Baahubali: The Conclusion.’ The official spelling is ‘Bãhubali 2: The Conclusion.’
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Bãhubali: The Conclusion is...
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion is the 168 minute (2h 48m) Episode 2 of the Bahubali saga. It is arguably India's most expensive feature film ever and India's 3rd film to be screened in IMAX at selected theatres. It is not a sequel but a previously- planned second episode, which completes the story that was left hanging, so to say, atop a cliff in Episode 1.
Anushka Shetty and friends sing a devotional song.
Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) was a period, action film from India's Telugu film industry, which was India’s third biggest film industry in 2014 and the second biggest in 2005. (Indian cinema: Statistics) It then was the most expensive film ever made in India. That it had dubbed versions in Hindi-Urdu, Tamil and Malayalam made such extravagance possible. Bãhubali: The Conclusion, too, has been released in Hindi-Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
When Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) was first released it seemed that it would re-write all records of box office success in India and become India’s biggest money-spinning film ever. However, it had to settle for the then no.3 spot, which was no mean achievement either.
Bãhubali: The Conclusion, too, has re-written several Indian records, most of them having been set by its own Part 1, Bahubali: The Beginning (2015).
How the biggest, pan-Indian blockbuster was made
What is emblematic of Baahubali holds good for its creator.
Baahubali: The Conclusion
He dreamt, he dared and he delivered.
What is emblematic of Baahubali holds good for its creator. Five years ago, the mild-mannered S.S. Rajamouli convinced his friend, producer Shobu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of Arka Mediaworks, to take up an audacious period project, with Prabhas, an accomplished actor in Telugu cinema, as its central character. After a few weeks of meticulous planning, including a deliberate decision to make it a two-part enterprise, Rajamouli assembled an army of actors, technicians and craftsmen to make India's most expensive film .
In the royal court of Mahishmati Bãhubali has just chopped off the head of a lecherous courtier who had the temerity to paw a lady who was in a queue trying to enter the palace.
‘It is not enough to cut the fingers that touched the lady. We behead such people,’ he thunders.
Because Mahishmati wasn't built in a day
Art director Sabu Cyril and a force of 2,000 carpenters, painters and prop makers built the empire of Mahishmati at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad in 2013. Not only did they build two palaces and statues but also mechanical animals, including bulls, horses and elephants. Prabhas talks about a 'Mahishmati Bible of sorts' that offered vivid details about the kingdom such as the likes and dislikes of its people, their sleeping regimen and staple diet. Thousands of extras were roped in for the battle sequences, which were pre-visualised with the help of John Griffith, who has worked on films like Planet of the Apes and the X-Men series. A chunk of the visual effects work was carried out at Hyderabad's Makuta VFX studios. When it finally hits screens on April 28, Arka Mediaworks would have spent Rs 450 crore-Rs 300 crore more than the earlier estimated budget for the two films.
The result is a predominantly Made in India project with the narrative core rooted in Indian myths, but with an international look and universal appeal. Come April 28, and Yarlagadda, Devineni Prasad, who ran the administrative apparatus, Rajamouli and his crew will complete the historical chapter they started. Two questions then crop up: could Baahubali: The Conclusion improve on the Rs 600 crore collections of the National Award-winning Part 1? More pertinently, 'Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?'
Anushka Shetty and Subbaraju (playing Prince Kumara Varma)
For the past two years, Rajamouli has managed not to have any #BaahubaliLeaks from Hyderabad. "If it were a lazy one-line answer, people would have figured it out," says Rajamouli. "It's a big part of the forthcoming film." He has his father, K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, who wrote the film's story, to thank for one of the best endings to lure viewers. "While a big budget helps create atmospherics and newer techniques in filmmaking, what holds it together ultimately is the content and the ability to sustain audience interest," says Prasad.
Anxiety over mounting costs
"People thought we were fools," says Yarlagadda. "They wrote us off even before the release of the [first] film." Prior to Baahubali, Arka Mediaworks had produced just three films, including Rajamouli's Maryada Ramanna (2010), which was remade in Hindi as Son of Sardar. Many took the film's spiralling budget as a sign it was a doomed venture.
But being cautious wasn't an option. "I knew the rising cost was not driven by someone's fancy but was someone's remuneration," says Yarlagadda. The trust Rajamouli and the company built over a decade ensured that Baahubali saw the light of day. It also helped that Rajamouli was a box-office champion with Telugu superhits such as Magadheera (2009) and Eega (2012). Says Yarlagadda, "I don't know if I could back any other filmmaker to such a degree." On his part, Rajamouli says, "The producer and director have to be on the same page. If it doesn't happen at the beginning of the film, it shows in the final product."
Sathyaraj and Prabhas
The birth of a pan-India film
Early in 2013, Mumbai-based publicist Prabhat Choudhary of Spice PR was flown down to Hyderabad to meet Rajamouli. The aim: take Baahubali beyond south India with the help of an agency with a footprint in north and west India. Choudhary recalls Rajamouli's presentation included describing the waterfall sequence in Part 1. "I was blown away," says Choudhary.
Just by announcing it as the most expensive film, Choudhary says, Baahubali went from being a southern film to a national one. On July 10, 2015, Baahubali: The Beginning set a new record, with the highest first-day collection for a film dubbed in Hindi: Rs 5.15 crore.
The buzz for Part 2 transcends that of Part 1. After promotions in Chandigarh, the cast travels to Ahmedabad, where at Hotel Rajwadu they feast on a thali named Baahubali; to Varanasi, and finally Delhi. "A pan-India film was a myth before Baahubali," says Choudhary. "The road had been paved."
An example for Bollywood
Such an elaborate exercise in filmmaking supported for five years with concomitant branding, coming as it does from 'southern or regional cinema', may well be a model for Bollywood in which superstars are given precedence. Siddharth Roy Kapur, former managing director of Disney India, which produced Dangal, the highest-grossing Indian film so far, says that Baahubali is an "eye-opener and lesson to the Hindi film fraternity which relies on a superstar-driven culture for the big blockbuster". What makes Baahubali even more impressive is that it achieved its feat with actors like Prabhas and Rana Daggubati, who are not known widely among Hindi audiences, unlike the legendary Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan.
"The theme of the film is the real star," says Kapur. "You need to salute the leap of faith of the producers who invested the money, time and energy. It has paid off in spades," he adds, citing Rs 111 crore, the box-office collections for the dubbed Hindi version.
Bahubali (Prabhas) has had enough of playing Mr Nice Guy. He takes aim, seemingly at Devasena (Anushka Shetty)
The blend of fantasy and mythology is a little explored genre in Bollywood-for travelling back in time and building a whole new world isn't just an expensive proposition but a daunting one as well. Even as Hindi cinema had its share of fantasy epics early on, such as Aan (1952), Dharam Veer (1977) and Ajooba (1991), the colossal failures of Drona (2008), Veer (2010) and, more recently, Mohenjo Daro (2016) don't inspire much confidence. "It is not that we are limited by imagination," says Kapur. The concern, he adds, has been if the technology and the budgets will deliver. "It is simplistic to put the blame on studios alone," he says. "It takes guts to make a film without a big star."
Yarlagadda, though, isn't certain if the studio model permits the development of a film like Baahubali. While Hollywood is developing action franchises which don't necessarily rely on superstars to get them rolling, Bollywood is still far away from adopting a similar model. "The studio system has a framework," says Yarlagadda. "Its rigidity leaves little scope for human judgement. There are certain limitations and rules you have to work with."
Bahubali (Prabhas) teaches Devasena (Anushka Shetty) how to shoot three arrows together.
The desi fantasy epic
Baahubali is being seen as a game-changer in Indian cinema for a variety of reasons. It's a film where the filmmaker is a more prominent figure than the actors. Rajamouli isn't merely a filmmaker presenting a narrative, he is the visionary transporting viewers into a mythical realm much like Hollywood filmmakers Steven Spielberg and James Cameron. From Sivudu demonstrating his flair as a luger in Part 1 to skateboarding as seen in the trailer of Part 2, it's the wild imagination, the ingenuity of the action and the spectacle that lures the viewers. Rajamouli's visual references may be western, but as an ardent fan of Amar Chitra Katha comics he taps into ancient epics to make a film that is a feast for the eyes and touches the heart too. "I know that if you have a universal theme and a good story told well, it will work everywhere," he says. "I strongly believe the stories we have, the epics of India, the Mahabharata, Ramayana, all the history, have a very rich culture and history that we've been ignoring for so long. We have been trying to ape western films. I don't have anything against it, but when we have such a treasure trove with us, it only makes sense to exploit it."
In the two Baahubalis-Amarendra and Mahendra-Rajamouli and his father have created desi superheroes whose physical prowess may remind you of Hollywood comicbook stars but whose personality attributes are reminiscent of characters from Indian mythology. Bijjaladeva with his scheming ways is a spin on Shakuni mama; Bhallaladeva could be Duryodhana, the brother who feels wronged and wants the empire at all costs; Mahendra is the dutiful son much like Lord Rama and Amarendra an able warrior like Bheem; Kattappa the faithful aide like Hanuman.
Bahubali (Prabhas) tames a wild elephant who would otherwise have crushed Queen Sivagami.
Author Amish Tripathi, an ardent fan of Part 1, says that like most writers of epic stories, Rajamouli too is influenced by Indian mythologies-the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas. "What drew everyone to the film apart from scale," he says, "is that these are our stories, our palaces and our temples. There is a strange mix of awe and connection unlike while watching Hollywood films where there is just awe. You look at Baahubali and it's like Yeh apna hai [he is our own]!"
It's not just the characters but the film's philosophy too. "It talks about dharma, and by that I don't mean religion but the right way to live, and karma in that we do what we have to," says Tripathi. This is best reflected in Kattappa, one of Baahubali's most revered characters, whose one action has devastating consequences for Mahishmati. "Pure good and evil in our tradition don't exist," says Tripathi. "Even the 'enemy' has a story, and you can learn something from him." It explains Baahubali: The Conclusion's tagline, 'A battle between two rights and no wrong', urging you to pick your side: Team Baahubali or Team Bhallalaldeva.
Bahubali (Prabhas) fires a large, flaming arrow (agni baan) at a Ravan-like effigy of evil.
Making history with mythology
No matter who you root for, entertainment is guaranteed. It is what made Karan Johar and Anil Thadani pick up the Hindi distribution rights. "I knew he was making this big motion picture... budget-wise, scalewise, opulence-wise, story-wise," writes Johar in his memoir The Unsuitable Boy on how he came to be associated with the film. "And I believe very strongly that in terms of quality, technique and storytelling, it's not down south but it's up south. Rajamouli is a master storyteller."
With the reincarnation action drama (Magadheera) and effect-heavy revenge tale featuring a fly (Eega), Rajamouli had already made his presence felt beyond South. But he still quite hadn't joined the league of filmmakers such as Mani Ratnam, Shankar, Ram Gopal Varma and Priyadarshan whose body of work has resonated with viewers across India. With Baahubali, Rajamouli, a protege of legendary Telugu filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao, has not just joined the club but cemented his reputation as the new showman of India. He has put Telugu cinema aka Tollywood, often overshadowed by the technically accomplished Kollywood, on the map. "Baahubali epitomises extraordinary restructuring after 75 years of India cinema," says Rao, director of 108 films who is credited as presenter for the Baahubali films. "It has opened vistas for making a film of epic proportions in all Indian languages." Adds actor Daggubati Venkatesh, "Rajamouli deserves applause for his grand vision and for taking an Indian film to such a remarkable level internationally. After the legendary Mayabazar (1957), Baahubali undoubtedly has taken Telugu cinema to a whole new high."
The movies have broken the language barrier of regional cinema and disrupted the star-studded culture of Bollywood. The grand opulence, high-octane drama and incredible action on display is all it takes to bring audiences back to the cinemas. "Each frame here makes you want to watch it on the big screen," says Vajir Singh, editor of Box Office India. Despite the second film coming after a nearly two-year break, the filmmakers have kept the Baahubali universe alive by taking the story into multiple formats, such as a book trilogy by Anand Neelakantan, comic books by Graphic India, an animated series on Amazon Prime Video, a TV series, mobile games, apparel, merchandise and more.
With 6,500 screens releasing Baahubali: The Conclusion, expectations are sky high. "I'd be happy if a film breaks existing records as it shows the film industry is growing," says Kapur. "For long, we have spoken about the Rs 1,000 crore worldwide grosser. It'd be great if it could reach that mark." Whether it does or not it won't diminish its impact on Indian cinema. It's already a success in spirit.
Anecdotes, factoids, vignettes
She’s got Anushka Shetty eyes
Sridevi turned down Sivagami’s role
According to reports, Sridevi was initially offered to play the role of the strong and brave royal queen mother Sivagami but she turned down the part, citing remuneration differences.
Prabhas turned down a Rs 10 crore endorsement [because of] ‘Baahubali’
Actor Prabhas rejected several endorsement offers that came his way after the success of ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, as he was focusing on the sequel. One of these even included an endorsement worth a whopping Rs 10 crore. What’s more, many prominent producers, including a few from Bollywood offered him leading roles in big budget films. However, the actor turned everything down due to his commitment to the SS Rajamouli epic.
Some reports even went as far as suggesting that Prabhas was almost broke during this period, but continued to star focused solely on ‘Baahubali’.
Prabhas
Prabhas received over 6000 marriage proposals while shooting for ‘Baahubali’ During the course of shooting for both ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ and 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion', Prabhas received a whopping 6000 marriage proposals. What’s even more shocking is that the Tollywood hunk turned each and every one of them down due to his work commitments. While this shows how popular the actor is among the ladies, it also shows how professional Prabhas actually is.
Prabhas became the first South Indian actor to get a wax statue!
Neither Thalaivaa Rajinikanth, nor super talented Kamal Haasan, it is ‘Baahubali’ Prabhas who has made his way to the Madame Tussauds, Bangkok. The 37-year-old has become the first South Indian actor to have his own wax statue at the renowned museum.
The Hindi-Urdu ‘voice of Prabhas’ in ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’
Filmistan actor Sharad Kelkar voiced the character played by Prabhas in ‘Baahubali 2. The dapper actor, who is known for his work in Hindi, Marathi films and television was behind the deep voice of Amarendra Baahubali in the Hindi version. Moreover, Sharad has also dubbed for several Hollywood flicks in Hindi as well. He voiced Vin Diesel’s character in ‘xXx: The Return of Xander Cage’. He has also lent his voice for dubbing in films like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ and ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’.
‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ was a family affair for SS Rajamouli
‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ has finally released and is taking the nation by storm. The director of the Not many know that a number of members from Rajamouli's extended family were involved with this project, thus truly making it a family affair. Starting off with the script, it was penned by the ace director’s father Vijayendra Prasad. Rajamouli’s wife Rama shouldered the responsibility of designing costumes for the film while son SS Karthikeya stepped in as a Second Unit Director and daughter Mayuka featured in the film's song ‘Saahore Baahubali’.
That's not all, Music Composer MM Keeravani, also happens to be Rajamouli’s cousin and the lyricists are his uncles K Shiva Shakti Datta and K Ramakrishna. Kalyani Malik, the Sound Recording Artist is also a cousin to the filmmaker. Malik’s son Mayur too lent his voice in some parts of the movie. Keeravani’s wife Sree Valli, on the other hand, became the Line Producer and his sons Kaala Bhairava and Sri Simha took on the duties of Singer and Assistant Music Director respectively. The composer’s daughter was also part of the ‘Saahore Baahubali’ song along with Rajamouli’s daughter.
Finally, the VFX Assistant for the ambitious project, Rajabali is also a cousin of the ace director. Thus with as many as fifteen relatives involved in the magnum opus, Rajamouli and his extended family have given us the masterpiece 'Baahubali 2'.
The majestic set at the premiere venue of ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’
Indian Express
The makers had initially planned to have a grand premiere of the much-awaited film in Mumbai. However, following the demise of veteran actor Vinod Khanna, they cancelled the premiere as a mark of respect to the actor.
The makers had set up a magnificent set at the premiere venue that included a grand entrance resembling that of a palace, life-size figurines of elephants and a red carpet. The massive set was dismantled after the decision of cancelling the premiere was announced.
Indian Express
Sathyaraj’s controversial comments on Kannadigas and protests
The movie faced massive protests in Karnataka. Apparently, actor Sathyaraj who plays Kattappa in the film spoke ill of the people of Karnataka during a speech on the Cauvery issue. This led to angered protests against the release of the film across the state. Finally, after humble requests from S.S. Rajamouli and an apology from Sathyaraj himself, the protests were called off in time for the film to release without any hassles.
First Indian film to release in 4K
As if the grandeur and compelling plot is not enough, ‘Baahubali’ also became a pioneer in technology. It is about to become the first Indian film to be released in 4K HD format. To ensure that it is executed, more than 200 theatres around the country have switched over to special 4K projectors. With the advent of this technology, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ promises to redefine the viewing experience for Indian cinema audiences.
‘Baahubali 2’ action sequence leaked by graphic designer
An action sequence between Prabhas and Anushka Shetty was leaked online in March. The five-minute clip had semi rendered CGI shots. Moreover, rumours were rife that right after this scene the secret of why Kattappa killed Baahubali will be revealed in the film. After looking at the footage, the producers discerned that the footage could have been leaked only by Annapurna Studios, one of the many studios involved in production work. Later, the culprit turned out to be a junior graphic designer who was consequently arrested and tried in court.
‘Baahubali’ producers raided by Income Tax officials for black money
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark decision to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, the producers of ‘Baahubali’ apparently found themselves in a fix. Up to 25 IT officials raided the producer’s offices in Hyderabad as they suspected them to have black money worth Rs 60 crores in demonetized notes. However, the ‘Baahubali’ team kept hush about the matter and nothing truly ever came to light that either confirmed or denied IT department’s suspicion.
Talk of Prabhas getting married post ‘Baahubali 2’
Prabhas has become one of the biggest stars in the country after the first part of the S.S. Rajamouli epic. He is also one of the most eligible bachelors in Tollywood at the moment. So obviously, talks of his marriage keep surfacing online. Apparently, the actor’s uncle had declared that the actor will tie the knot only once he finishes ‘Baahubali 2’. Now that the shooting is done with and the film is set to release, everyone is intrigued to see if Prabhas will finally end his singlehood. If rumours are to be believed, then the bride is from an influential family in Vishakapatnam and does not belong to the film fraternity in anyway. Only time will tell if there is any truth to these rumours.
Makers create VR booths across the country
‘Baahubali’ has perhaps had some of the most innovative and aggressive promotional campaign in Indian cinema. One of the parts of that campaign was the installation of virtual reality booths in many theatres all across the country to give a more comprehensive experience of the world of ‘Baahubali’. Director S.S. Rajamouli announced the news when he unveiled the first look of the movie back in October 2016. Many VR booths have since been installed with more on the way.
Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) got a 6000-screen release in China
The Prabhas starrer also made headlines in July 2016 when it was released in China in a whopping 6000 screens, the highest for any Indian film beating Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’ in terms of screen count.
More interesting facts
Five from The Times of India
Sivagami's attire
Fans of the hugely successful franchise are well aware that ‘Baahubali’ is actually one big story divided into two movies, and is now rumoured to have a third film in the works. IndiaTimes/ The Times of India drew up a list of a few unknown facts that could throw light on the sequel…
Sivagami’s attire
Queen mother Sivagami meets her demise at the start of ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’. She is seen wearing a green saree with a red border. Now, in the trailer for ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’, she can be seen in the same attire presenting an infant - Mahendra Baahubali - to the people. Coincidently, in the post credit scene of the first film, she was seen in the same saree sadly caressing someone, possibly the corpse of Amarendra Baahubali. It is thus evident that Baahubali’s death, Mahendra’s announcement as the heir and Sivagami’s demise happened on the same day. by Shivkumar.H
Prabhas played a triple role
Everyone knows that Prabhas plays the dual character of father and son in the movie. However, it might surprise you that he played the role of the grandfather as well! In ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, a painting of King Dharmendra Baahubali, is shown, which looks strikingly similar to Prabhas. This means that the actor has actually portrayed three characters in the film. Maybe, fans will get to see more of Dharmendra Baahubali as well in the upcoming film.
Kattappa met Mahendra Baahubali right after killing his father
Kattappa, the slave warrior stabs Amarendra Baahubali in the back while at war. In the post-credits scene, as he returns to the palace dejected and battle-worn, he can be seen covered in blood with some injuries on his head. Interestingly, he carries the same injuries during a flashback scene, where he recognises Mahendra Baahubali and places the infant's feet on his forehead. Thus, indicating that he met the child after killing his father. Could this hence be an act of remorse on the slave warrior’s part?
Stolen army secrets that were never used
Sivagami’s aide stole the Mahishmati kingdom's army secrets to presumably sell them to the barbaric Kalakeyas. However, Baahubali and Bhallaladeva catch him, but not before he sends the information across with the help of a messenger dove. With the secrets of the army and with the strength of numbers, the Kalakeyas must have surely defeated the Mahishmati warriors. But surprisingly, this did not happen and they attacked without tact. So who got the secrets of the Mahishmati army? There is an indication that the Kalakeyas might attack once again, this time, with the secrets to help them out. Maybe this is the raging war we will get to see in ‘Baahubali 2’ where Kattappa kills his king.
Bhallaladeva was already king before Amarendra Baahubali died
In the promo videos that came out in 2014 before ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, there was one particular interesting video that showed Prabhas aka Amarendra Baahubali displaying his swordsmanship in the royal courtroom. In the background, sitting on the throne is Bhallaladeva! However, in the end of the first film, it was Baahubali who was declared king. So this leads to the question of how the reign of the kingdom passed from Baahubali to Bhallaladeva while the crowned king was very much alive. We can only wait and see if the upcoming film will shed some light on this.
Ten from Big Wire
Sreya Basu | 10 interesting facts about Bahubali: The Conclusion | March 17, 2017 | Big Wire
And, Kattappa killed Bahubali. Thus endeth the 2015 mega blockbuster Bahubali: The Beginning leaving the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for its sequel Bahubali 2 or Baahubali: The Conclusion.
The 2.24-minute theatrical trailer of much-awaited Bahubali: The Conclusion, popularly being referred as Bahubali 2, was released on Mar 15 and it started trending worldwide within an hour.
The film’s director S S Rajamouli tweeted on Friday (Mar 17): “50 Million cumulative views of our trailer, across all languages, on YT & FB. The most viewed Indian movie trailer in 24hours. #BB2Storm”.
[Indpaedia adds: In thirteen days on YouTube alone the trailer gathered more than 38.5 million views in Hindi-Urdu, 36 million in Telugu, and 6 million in Tamil.
[In 2015 Indpaedia had predicted that the Hindi-Urdu version would earn slightly more than the Telugu original. That came true for the first time in the history of the Indian box office. The same has now happened with the trailer of Bahubali 2: The Conclusion.
[Indpaedia’s prediction is that if Bahubali 2: The Conclusion is a superhit, once again the Hindi-Urdu version will collect around the same or a little more than the Telugu version. However, if the audience reception is lukewarm, then Telugu audiences will remain more loyal than those in the ‘rest of India. ]
Bahubali 2 or Bahubali: The Conclusion is scheduled for release on April 28.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Bahubali 2 or Bahubali: The Conclusion for the fans of the epic movie:
1. The climax of Bahubali 2 or Bahubali: The Conclusion was shot with a whopping budget of Rs 30 crore, which was almost double the budget of the climax shot of its prequel Bahubali: The Beginning.
2. Remember the waterfall scene in Bahubali-The Beginning that took almost one-third of the total shooting time of the entire film? Well, brace your seats for similar scenes in Bahubali 2 or Bahubali: The Conclusion. Add on, it has some breath-taking war scenes as well.
3. The shooting of Bahubali 2 or Bahubali: The Conclusion started on Dec 17, 2015 at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad with Telegu superstar Prabhas who is playing the lead and Ramya Krishnan, who is playing queen Sivagami.
4. Some pictures from the pre-climax shoot of the film were leaked online last year, despite filmmakers taking every possible step to stop leaking of details about the film.
5. Private television channel Sony TV has bought the satellite rights of the Hindi version of Bahubali 2 for Rs 51 crore, which is the highest amount paid for a dubbed film so far.
MS & Team
6. Bahubali 2 will reported see a love triangle between Amarendra Bahubali (Prabhas), Ballala Deva (Rana Daggubati) and Devasena (Anushka Shetty). Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) asks Devasena to marry Ballala Deva, but she reportedly refuses and ties the knots with Amarendra Bahubali.
7. In Bahubali 2, Sivagami, who earlier favoured her deceased sister-in-law’s son Amarendra Bahubali over her own child Ballala Deva, will reportedly be seen switching her loyalties and throwing the newly married Bahubali and Devasena out of the Mahishmati kingdom.
8. To get their beast bodies Prabhas (playing the protagonist) and Rana Daggubati (playing the antagonist) were even trained in martial arts by Vietnamese trainer Tuan. Both actors were made to gain over 30 kilos to get into the skin of their characters.
9. Bahubali 2 or Baahubali: The Conclusion has already collected Rs 500 crore via satellite and theatrical rights even before its release.
10. Director S S Rajamouli has assured fans to come back with Bahubali 3 as well, details of which will be announced later.
Big Wire
The story
Darshan Gabani, studied at Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering
Why Kattappa killed Bãhubali: in brief
[Villainous prince] Bhallal makes up some stories, creates some plots and convinces Queen Sivagami that his rival prince Bãhubali has gone rogue and is now like a villain. So Queen Sivagami orders the palace- loyalist Kattappa to kill him. Kattappa disagrees and says cut my head instead. Queen Sivagami says that if he will not kill Bãhubali, she herself will do it. Now Kattappa feels that it would be a great sin for her to kill her own son. So he agrees to kill him. Later he learns that all this was due to Bhallal’s spreading false stories.
The whole story
Queen Sivagami asks prince and heir-apparent Bahubali to roam about outside the palace to learn about the people’s hopes and aspirations. Kattappa and he land up in another kingdom and find a Princess called Devasena fighting fearlessly against enemies. He falls for her but doesn't let her know. Instead he acts like he is a retarded, idiotic person. Devasena has doubts about his simplicity and plans to test him. Even then, he gets himself injured instead of fighting against the animal, which is left running towards him. Then Kattappa urges her to let Bãhubali and him stay at her palace and she agrees.
Meanwhile [villainous prince] Bhallaldev is informed regarding Bãhubali and Devasena’s romance. When he sees her, he decides to marry her himself. He tricks queen Sivagami into believing that he loves Devasena and thus Queen Sivagami promises to get Devasena married with Bhallal. She sends Devasena a grand and costly proposal of marriage with her son. (Both Bhallal and Bãhubali) But Devasena refuses it outright as there was no mention of the qualities of the son, the prince, and felt she was being purchased.
Now Kattappa feels that Queen Sivagami had sent the wedding proposal for Bãhubali (and tells him as much) because the wedding proposal mentioned 'her son' but not which son. Later some fierce Pindari highwaymen come towards the palace and Bãhubali fights them fearlessly along with Devasena and thus everyone comes to know that Bãhubali is a brave warrior, and not a retard.
On the other hand on learning of the rude refusal of Devasena, Sivagami orders to bring her in chains. She knows Bãhubali is roaming in that area so she sends him a message to bring her. Now when Devasena comes to know that the proposal was for Bãhubali she realises that she had refused the offer wrongly. Both come to Maheshmati (in hope of marrying each other). Sivagami tells Devasena to go in front of her king and Devasena begins to move towards Bãhubali.
This is when the confusion is unveiled. Sivagami is furious now. Kattappa says it was his mistake to misinterpret the letter. However, Sivagami had vowed to Bhallal that Devasena will marry him. Now she leaves Bãhubali with two choices- marry Devasena or inherit the throne. He chooses Devasena and Bhallal is made the king, Bãhubali the senapati (commander in chief).
Still people are always cheering for Bãhubali and Bhallal is jealous. Once when Devasena was about to be molested by a guardian (of some high post), she cut his fingers. Due to this she was chained and brought in front of the king for trial. She starts accusing Sivagami and the kingdom’s wrong principles like chaining suspects and assuming her to be guilty before her she had made her statement.
This infuriates Sivagami. Now Bãhubali enters. Devasena tells him what happened and he instantly chops the head of the man who had molested her. Bhallal accuses him of not following the principle of letting the king decide justice, and orders his punishment by exiling them from the palace. Bãhubali and Devasena leave and stay with the common people. Still he is very famous and this makes Bhallal jealous.
One night Bhallal’s father (the disabled Bijjal Deva) tricks a man to go and kill Bhallal as he was going to kill Bãhubali. The man enters the room and kills the guards and later Bhallal kills him and makes up a story (to Sivagami) that Bãhubali sent the man to kill Bhallal as Bãhubali had been exiled from the palace. Now Sivagami is even more on Bhallal’s side and orders Kattappa to kill Bãhubali.
Devasena is about to give birth to a child meanwhile. After Kattappa kills Bãhubali, Bhallal comes and speaks to the dying man how his plan succeeded, which Kattappa hears. This is told to Sivagami. Now she realises her mistake. The son of Bãhubali is born. Sivagami makes him the future king.
Something else happens. Devasena is captured and Sivagami flees with the baby son of Bãhubali but is shot in her back with an arrow.
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) tells us about the events before this scene.
This was the opening scene of Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) : the dying Queen Sivagami holding the baby Bãhubali Jr. aloft as she drowns in the river. The baby grows up to be Bãhubali Jr and goes on to kill Bhallal Dev. Kattappa follows Bãhubali Jr’s orders now as he realises that he is the true king (as told by Sivagami when he was born). After a long fight Bãhubali kills Bhallaldev.
VFX
Where it was done
Paris Jackson
MS & Team
Baahubali franchise is director SS Rajamouli 's magnum opus vision brought to celluloid. The film's experience multifolds with the visually appealing VFX.
With Baahubali, Rajamouli has successfully brought the Mahishmati kingdom to live in the minds of the audience and for that, as many as 33 VFX studios worldwide united to deliver this magnificent piece of art. The studios worked for about 15 months on the post production of Baahubali: The Conclusion.
While the VFX work was predominantly carried out in India with studios from Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, in addition about 10 International studios were also hired from Ukraine, Iran, USA, and UK. Baahubali: The beginning won accolades all over the world for its visual effects. And the trailer of Baahubali: The Conclusion promises to surpass the excellence of the National award winner VFX of the first instalment.
Events before the release of Bahubali: The Conclusion
Re-release of Bahubali: The Beginning on 900 screens
After films started getting ‘beamed’ to cinemas through satellites around the year 2003, and pirated DVDs became rampant in India, the era of films being re-released in India came to an end.
However, in early April 2017 “the producers and distributors of the Baahubali films decided that it would be a good idea to re-release Baahubali: The Beginning in theatres [three weeks] ahead of the theatrical release of its sequel Baahubali: The Conclusion.”
With around 900 screens, this was the biggest re-release in the history of Indian cinema, the first in the post-satellite era and the first nationwide re-release of any Indian film in its original format.
At least some people turned up at cinemas assuming that it was part 2 that had been released.
“However, the plan did not work out well as reports say that Baahubali: The Beginning's re-release could not bring people into theatres this weekend. India Today
The film could gather just about 2 crore* in its opening weekend KoiMoi.com DNA gave the same figure.
Live Mint broadly agreed with the figure but gave a more cheerful interpretation: “The re-release of the Hindi version of the first part in the run-up seems to have paid off quite decently for the makers, according to experts.
“Baahubali: The Beginning has made Rs2-3 crore in its opening weekend which is better than all the Hindi films that released along with it. These include family drama Mukti Bhawan, musical comedy Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana, erotic love story Mirza Juuliet and Ranvir Shorey-starrer Blue Mountains: A Modern Day Classic, all of which netted less than Rs50 lakh each.
The younger Kattappa (Sathyaraj)
“The purpose of re-releasing the film though, industry experts emphasize, has been to generate and sustain curiosity in the run-up to the release of the new film, besides giving a chance to people to revisit the old film before watching the new one.
“ “Footfalls for the film could have been much higher had the prices been slightly lower,” Mohan said. “You have multiplexes selling tickets for Rs600-700 when an average rate of Rs200-250 would have helped more. “ “
The Tamil version of Baahubali: The Beginning was re-released a week before the premiere of Part 2.
desidime.com reported that ‘Assured access will be given only to users who book tickets for Baahubali: The Beginning between 7th & 17th April, 2017.’
In the absence of figures of any kind for the box office collections of Baahubali: The Beginning in its 2017 re-release, Indpaedia, using projections, assumes that the total all-India collections in all languages in one week were around Rs.6crore.
Part 2 on 9,000 screens worldwide???
'Reports suggest that Baahubali 2 is releasing in as many as 9000 screens worldwide! The massive release will be divided in almost 6500 screens in India itself (including 1,500 in just Andhra Pradesh- Telangana). Approximately, 1100 screens will be opened in USA and 1400 screens for the rest of the world. The film will simultaneously release in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. Since it is releasing in IMAX format, the film has bagged almost 40 IMAX screens in the USA for its release.' (Baahubali 2 Collects 19 Crs In The US Already, With Tickets Selling At $100,000 Per Hour | April 27, 2017 | KoiMoi.com)
It is being released in 200 locations in the US and 345 screens in the Gulf countries.
Kattappa (Sathyaraj) with the younger Bãhubali
In metros and other top cities, Bahubali-2 is being beamed on virtually all the screens available. (Bahubali-2 makes epic debut at box-office| HYDERABAD, APRIL 28 | The Hindu )
BookMyShow: Dangal’s advance sales record broken
A day before the film’s premiere, KoiMoi.com reported:
BookMyShow announced that it has already sold well over a million tickets in just over 24 hours for the one of the most anticipated movies of the year- Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
With this, BookMyShow has also already clocked its highest ever advance sales revenues for a movie, while the film’s release is still one day away. This record was previously held by Aamir Khan starrer Dangal.
By the evening before the film’s premiere, BookMyShow saw bookings of 3.3 million tickets for Bahubali-2. (Bahubali-2 makes epic debut at box-office| HYDERABAD, APRIL 28 | The Hindu)
US box office
'According to Great India Films, the US distributor of Baahubali 2, the film [had, till two days before its premiere] raked in Rs 19 crore in the US only from advance bookings! The distribution company has further revealed that the advance ticket sales have already topped the list of the highest grossing Indian film (of any language) on its opening day! They have disclosed the figures officially, saying that tickets for the magnum opus are being sold at $100,000 (Rs 64 lakhs) every hour!' (Baahubali 2 Collects 19 Crs In The US Already, With Tickets Selling At $100,000 Per Hour | April 27, 2017 | KoiMoi.com)
‘Kattappa’s’ 2008 comments on water for Karnataka haunt him
Sathyaraj, who plays Kattappa expressed the deepest regret over comments he made against Kannadigas nine years ago during the Cauvery row and appealed for the smooth release of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in Karnataka.
Over the previous week, Pro-Kannada organisations have been protesting the release of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in Karnataka over Sathyaraj’s allegedly inflammatory comments.
“Nine years ago, I voiced my opinion during the Cauvery row. People in Karnataka burnt my effigies for my strong comments. I have been told that my comments back then had hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. I deeply regret to have made such comments,” Sathyaraj, reacting to the current state of affairs in Karnataka, said in a video statement.
He went on to add that he is not against Kannadigas.
“Even though I made those comments, I should clarify that I am not against the Kannada people. My assistant Sekhar, who has been with me for 30 years, is a Kannadiga,” he said.
Calling it unfair to ban the release of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion over his comments, he said, “I’m a very small part of a big film like Baahubali. The hard work of hundreds of people on this project shouldn’t go waste. Also, Karnataka distributors who have bet big on this film should not lose money because of the actions of my consequences.”
Sathyaraj however said he will in future continue to fight for Tamils.
'Baahubali storm' and three-km. queues in Hyderabad
Just about 48 hours prior to the film’s release, Hyderabad city seemed to be caught in a 'Baahubali storm' as cinegoers raced from one theatre to the other in hope of landing tickets for a weekend show.
Film enthusiasts waited in a serpentine queue, roughly three-km long if not more, outside the Prasad's Imax theatre on Necklace Road to pre-book their seats for 'Baahubali: The Conclusion'. And this was at 7 am.
While movie tickets in the city cost no more than Rs 250 at best (for reclining seats), industry insiders hinted at tickets for this mega film going for Rs 600 or more. "In fact black marketeers are charging anywhere between Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000 per ticket. That's how insane the demand is," said a source in the know of things.
Baahubali vs Kannada films
Even as the Baahubali 2 fever grips the city, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has taken exception to some theatre and multiplex owners pulling down Kannada movies like Puneet Rajkumar-starrer Rajakumara for Baahubali. Sa Ra Govindu, president of KFCC, has alleged that cinema hall owners in Avalahalli and Tavarekere are pulling down Kannada film Rajakumara to screen Baahubali.Calling this a gross injustice to the Kannada film industry , Govindu said, "I have made sure no Kannada movie is brought down to screen Baahubali. We have no problem with them screening the film on their own, but not at the cost of a Kannada film."
The first day
4am, 6am shows in Karnataka
With decks cleared for the release of S S Rajamouli-directed Baahubali 2 in Karnataka, movie buffs are trying their best to grab tickets for the initial shows on Friday. Such is the frenzy that some are even willing to sacrifice their sleep to catch the first show (4am) on the day of release, which some screens are offering. "I anyway won't be able to sleep out of excitement. So it shouldn't be difficult to make it for the 4am show," said Ravi Prakash, a doctor from HSR Layout.
Urvashi Digital, a single-screen theatre located near Lalbagh, is having a fan show at 4am. "Tickets were released online on Monday [four days before the premiere] and they sold out on the same day . Other shows across the weekend are also fast filling up," said theatre staffers.
Ticket prices have also shot up, with balcony seats costing between Rs 200 and 300 at single-screen theatres, but no one is complaining.
Rex Theatre on Brigade Road will also have an additional 6am show.However, others like Cauvery Theatre will stick to their original show timings. Rapid bookings for the movie have increased internet traffic on several online ticketing systems.
Technical audio glitch in Mumbai first-show
It wasn't a smooth sailing for the first-day-first-show cine-goers of the movie.
At a recent screening of the film in one of the renowned theatres of Mumbai, the screening of the film had to be halted owing to technical issues. There was an audio issue in the reel and the dialogues weren't audible. This audio issue led to a ruckus and the audience had to wait for almost 30 minutes before any conclusion regarding the fate of the screening could be drawn. Perplexed by this technical glitch, the cinema owners then ended up shifting up the screening to a different auditorium.
Earnings
Pre- release sale of rights
According to trade estimates, this is the collection from pre-sale of rights for Baahubali 2.
Satellite Sales (Hindi): Rs 50 crore
Satellite Sales (Tamil +Telugu+ Malayalam): Rs 25-30 crore
Music ( all languages): Rs 25-30 crore
Theatrical rights (Hindi): Rs 65 crore
Theatrical Rights (Telugu): Rs 130 crore
Theatrical Rights (Karnataka): Rs 45 crore
Theatrical Rights (Kerala): Rs 8 crore
Pre- release TOTAL Rs 340-350 crore
Box office response
First show: 95% occupancy for the Hindi-Urdu version
The film has opened to around 95% occupancy across the country in the morning shows itself.
Baahubali 2 : The Conclusion has taken the highest occupancy ever in the History of Indian Cinema.
It’s insane, crazy and HUGE! Friday shows in major circuits are housefull. In fact there are hardly any seats left for the late morning shows.
A record has already been set in its advance booking process, what with business coming to Rs36 crores in just 24 hours.
The biggest achievement for this film, is that it has got this kind of response despite being a Non-Bollywood film.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has already shattered the records of Dangal and Sultan‘s Advance Booking sales.
The craze down south is unimaginable as it is almost running housefull everywhere. Prabhas is being hailed as Rajinikanth in some parts of the region in South.
First day screenings
Bahubali-2 makes epic debut at box-office| HYDERABAD, APRIL 28 | The Hindu
Cinepolis ran 1,300 shows of the movie and Carnival Cinema in 1,314 shows across the country.
Premium show tickets are being sold in the US for a reported ₹2,100-2,800.
The response in Tamil Nadu has also been overwhelming. A spokesperson of SPI Cinemas, which runs the Satyam chain of theatres, said, “Day one collections of Bahubali-2 far exceeded those of the first part. We are running 83 shows,”
First day: A record Rs. 120- 125 Cr
The figures given below for each territory are from (BoxOfficeIndia. Wherever second figures have been given, they are from Press KS , quoting Trade Analyst, Umair Sandhu, who was the first off the mark by the evening of the first day and his figures are not very different from those of BoxOfficeIndia or KoiMoi.com.
Assam - Rs 55 lakh
Bihar - Rs 1.07 crore
CI - Rs 1.93 crore
CP Berar - Rs 2.79 crore
Delhi / UP - Rs 7.35 crore
East Punjab - Rs 4.63 crore
Kerala - Rs 4.38 crore/ Rs.9 cr
Mumbai - Rs15.25 crore
Mysore / Karnataka - Rs 11.58 crore/ Rs.12 cr
Nizam / Andhra - Rs 54.75 crore/ Rs.55 cr
Odisha - Rs 1.00 crore
Rajasthan - Rs 2.35 crore
Tamil Nadu - Rs 12.17 crore/ Rs.11 cr
West Bengal - Rs 2.23 crore
Box office records
You, the reader, have two choices
i) Just take our word that almost every all-India box office record in the history of Indian cinema till 2017 belonged to Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), all language versions taken together. Accepting our word will save you at least thirty minutes, which you can spend browsing the other pages of Indpaedia.com.
Or
ii) You can see all the detiled records at Box office records of Hindi-Urdu films
Some box-office records shattered by ‘Bãhubali 2’
IndiaTimes/ The Times of India has painstakingly collected, from Box Office India.com, nine new box-office records created by ‘Bãhubali 2’ till Day 10. For a complete list of these records (33 in the same period), with an exhaustive list of all the 21st century Hindi- Urdu films that rank next, please go to Box office records of Hindi-Urdu films . That list is being updated every day for the first two and a half weeks and, after that, periodically.
Indpaedia references both Box Office India] and KoiMoi.com].
Rohan Valecha | Box-office records shattered by ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ | May 08, 2017 | IndiaTimes/ The Times of India citing Box Office India.com
‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ became the first Indian film to cross Rs 1000 crore benchmark worldwide, and achieved this within 10 days of its theatrical run
Other box-office records shattered by ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’
Highest first-day collection for a Hindi film: an estimated total of Rs 40.75 crore from the Hindi market dethroning 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' as the highest first-day grosser of all time.
'Baahubali' becomes the first film to cross the Rs 100 crore mark on day 1: The multi-lingual film collected an estimated Rs 122.03 crore net
Highest first-weekend collection for a Hindi film: Rs 127.50 crore. The weekend collection of the Hindi version thus beat the record previously created by ‘Sultan’.
Highest first Monday grosser ever: Rs 39 crore from the Hindi market alone. This record was earlier held by ‘Krrish 3’ which had collected Rs 29.64 crore.
Highest first Tuesday collection of all time: Rs 29.5 crore approximately, while ‘Kick’ grossed Rs 26.82 crore on their respective first Tuesdays at the box-office.
‘Bahubali 2: The Conclusion’ now holds the record for the highest collections on each of its first five days. It has the highest day one, day two, day three, day four and day five [Indpaedia: indeed, for all days so far].
Highest grosser of all-time in five days: Rs 441 crore leading the gross figure of 'Baahubali 2' to Rs 565 crore.
Highest earning Indian film worldwide (This figure keeps getting higher every day)
Some insights
The Telugu version earned more than the Hindi-Urdu version only on the 1st, 3rd and 4th days. On all other days the Hindi-Urdu outstripped the Telugu version, and by a wide margin, the margin growing with the days.
The number of screens dropped only slightly, by around twenty per cent, in the second week. Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) was exhibited on a record 6,300 screens in India alone in its second week. Box Office Times gavethe following break up: Hindi-Urdu: 3500 screens; Telugu: 1500 screens; Tamil: 800 screens; Malayalam: 500 screens.
BOX OFFICE TOTAL/ All languages
Day 1: All languages. Rs122 crore (BoxOfficeIndia): ‘which is a record [that] could stay for years’<> Rs125 crore Press KS , quoting Trade Analyst, Umair Sandhu, whose ‘guesstimate’ was remarkably accurate. <> KoiMoi.com too agrees on Rs122 crore
Day 2: All languages. Rs100 crore (BoxOfficeIndia) <> Rs.102 crore KoiMoi.com
Day 3: Rs161-171 crore gross domestic. All languages.
First weekend All languages: Overseas $18.5 million/ Rs. 121 crore<> Rs. 395 domestic gross/ Worldwide Rs. 506 crore (Box Office India), Rs. 385 domestic gross/ Worldwide Rs505 crore gross KoiMoi.com Overseas $18.5 million/ Rs. 121 crore
4 days’ total Rs 625 crore All languages {Domestic: Rs.490 crore gross/Rs. 338 crore net (Rs 163 crore Hindi-Urdu; Rs175 crores in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam)} + overseas Rs 125 crore]: (This adds up to Rs 615 crore but Box Office India has given the total as Rs 625 crore)
5 days’ total Rs. 710 crore gross (Rs.440 crore net/ Rs.565 crore gross + overseas Rs.145 crore) KoiMoi.com
6 days’ total ₹792 crore {Domestic ₹624 cr/ Overseas $26 million apprx (₹168 crore)} Box Office India/ Rs. 780 Crore KoiMoi.com
7 days’ total ₹860 crore {Domestic ₹695 cr gross, ₹545 crore net/ Overseas $26 million apprx (₹165 crore)} (KoiMoi.com)
8 days’ total ₹ 915 crore {Domestic ₹ 735cr gross, ₹ 580crore net/ Overseas ₹180crore) (KoiMoi.com)
9 days’ total ₹ 1,000 crore plus {Domestic ₹ 800 cr plus gross, ₹ 625crore net/ Overseas: ₹ 200 crore approx) (KoiMoi.com)/ Rs611 crore net (Box Office India)
10 days’ total ₹1, 047 crore (Domestic: – ₹ 854 cr apprx gross; Overseas - $30 million apprx (₹193 crore). (Box Office India)
11 days’ total (Monday) DomNt had increased to ₹704 crore (Box Office India). Since DomGr and Ovrss were not released, the Wrldwde Total was assumed at ₹1, 085 crore plus
12 days’ total (Tuesday) DomNt had increased to ₹711.50 crore . The Wrldwde Total was ₹1,163.75 crore (Movie Box Office Collection)
13 days’ total (Wednesday) ₹1,179 crore (Box Office India)
14 days’ total (Thursday) ₹1,256 crore (all languages) Worldwide collection. DomNt ₹875 crore approx {Hindi-Urdu: ₹375.35 crore net/ gross – ₹525.49 crore} and ₹450 crore (Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam) + overseas ₹281 crore (KoiMoi.com)
NOTE: By the 13th or 14th day the major box office analysts had stopped taking interest in the all-India figures. Indeed, Indpaedia had to go to great lengths to get the Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu figures even for earlier days. The 'all language' total from now onward will sometimes be based on reasoned projections.
After Day 15 the worldwide collections were assumed to be ₹1,280- ₹1,285 crore approx
16 days’ total (Saturday) ₹1,330 crore (all languages) Worldwide collection (Box Office Times). BUT Movie Box Office Collection put the collection at as low as ₹1,123 crore (all languages) after 16 days.
17 days’ total (Sunday) Worldwide collections after Day 17 were ₹1,294 crore. (Box Office India)
18 days’ total (Monday) After Day 18, on the basis of Hindi earnings, the Worldwide collection is projected to be ₹1,309 crore.
19 days’ total (Tuesday) After Day 19, on the basis of Hindi earnings, the Worldwide collection is projected to be ₹1,329 crore. The domestic net had reached a record ₹901.75 crore (Box Office India)
20 days’ total After Day 20, on the basis of Hindi, Telugu and other figures available, the Worldwide collection is projected to be ₹1,491 crore gross. <>{After Day 20 DomNt ₹940 crore; Domestic gross 1,210 crore.} {Overseas $40.30 million (Rs.259 crore) (Box Office India/ after 17 days / ₹281 crore (KoiMoi.com) after 19 days }
THREE WEEKS’/ 21 days’ total ₹1,505 crore gross. <> Domestic Net ₹955 crore; Domestic gross ₹1,230 crore.Overseas $42.30 million (Rs. 275 crore) (KoiMoi.com)
22 days’ total ₹1,512 crore gross. Domestic Net ₹961 crore. Both are projected figures. Our projections always err on the lower side by 1-5% and have been remarkably accurate so far.
23 days’ total/ i.e. after 20 May: ₹1,538 crore gross. Domestic Net ₹973 crore. (KoiMoi.com)<> After Day 23: Domestic gross ₹1,256 crore. Overseas ₹282 crore (KoiMoi.com)
24 days’ total/ i.e. after 21 May: ₹1,554 crore Box Office Times (Indpaedia’s own assessment is ₹1,551 crore) <> Domestic gross ₹1, 275 crore. Overseas ₹290 crore (KoiMoi.com)
25 days’ total/ i.e. after 22 May: ₹1,558 crore (a projected figure)
27 days’ total/ i.e. after 24 May: ₹1, 530 Crore (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam) (Out of this: Overseas (GROSS): $43 million (₹277 crore) (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam); India (GROSS) ₹1,253 crore (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam): (These figures from Box Office India) <> India net: ₹1,006.50 crore, the 1st Indian film to achieve this feat, solely in the domestic arena. Break up: ₹520 crore in Tamil + Telugu + Malayalam, ₹486.50 in Hindi-Urdu (These figures from (KoiMoi.com)
28 days’ total/ i.e. after 25 May: ₹1,596 Crore {Domestic gross: ₹1,299 crore; net ₹1,007 crore; overseas ₹297 crore (KoiMoi.com)/ the figures of Box Office India were not available but would be around ₹1,540 crore worldwide gross.}
29 days’ total/ i.e. after 26 May: ₹1,612 crore (KoiMoi.com)
35 days’ total/ i.e. after 2 June: ₹1,652 crore {Domestic gross after 2 June: ₹1,345 crore; net ₹1,043 crore; overseas ₹307 crore (KoiMoi.com)
41 days’ total/ i.e. after 8 June 2017: Worldwide collection : ₹1666.29 crore {Domestic gross after 8 June: ₹1,354.29 crore (i.e. ₹728.53 cr in Hindi-Urdu + ₹625.76 crore in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam); and overseas ₹312 crore. (KoiMoi.com)
48 days’ total/ i.e. after 15 June 2017: Worldwide collection after 15 June: ₹1,684 crore {Domestic gross after 15 June: ₹1,373 crore (8 June break up: ₹728.53 cr in Hindi-Urdu + ₹625.76 crore in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam); and overseas ₹310 crore. <> Domestic net after 15 June was ₹1,066 crore (KoiMoi.com)
67 days’ total/ i.e.after 4 July 2017: Worldwide collection ₹1,690 crore {Domestic gross after 4 July: ₹1,380 crore (8 June break up: ₹728.53 cr in Hindi-Urdu + ₹625.76 crore in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam). Overseas after 4 July: ₹310 crore. <> Domestic net after 4 July ₹1,060 crore (KoiMoi.com)
Language-, territory- wise figures
On the page Box office records of Hindi-Urdu films see> ‘The highest grossers in individual distribution circuits/ territories’ for the records that the Hindi- Urdu version has set in individual territories of Hindi- Urdu films.
The figures from the Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu versions have mostly been gathered from Box Office Times, unless mentioned otherwise.
The Andhra Pradesh and Nizam (i.e. AP & Telangana) charts for Day 1 and Week 1 are from Update Bro.
Hindi-Urdu
If sometimes the totals don't add up or the hyperlink leads you to a different, lower figure, it is because both Box Office India and KoiMoi first give preliminary estimates and then a final figure a few days later. Indpaedia records the preliminary estimates and sometimes revises them later, but our final figure is the same as that of these box office experts.
Day 1: Rs.41 crore/ Rs. 40.75 crore (Boxofficeindia.com)
Day 2: Rs.42 crore/ Rs. 40.25 crore (Boxofficeindia.com)
Day 3/ Sunday: Rs. 46.50 crore (Boxofficeindia.com)
First (three-day) weekend Rs. 127.50 crore
Day 4/ Monday (May Day, partial holiday: Rs. 39.50 crore net, and counting (Box Office India)/ Rs40.25 crore (preliminary) (KoiMoi.com)
First four days' total Rs.166.50 crore (Box Office India)/ Rs 168.25 crore (KoiMoi.com)
Day 5: Rs. 28 crore KoiMoi.com<> Rs 30 crore, preliminary Box Office India
First five days' total Rs 196 crore KoiMoi.com <> Rs. 197.50 crore net Box Office India
Day 6: Rs. 24 crore (KoiMoi.com])
First six days' total Rs221 crore
Day 7: Rs. 20 crore or Rs. 24 crore
WEEK ONE/ First seven days' total Rs.241 crore (KoiMoi.com)/ Rs.245 crore (Box Office India)
Day 8: Rs. 20 crore (Box Office India)
First eight days' total Rs265 crore (Box Office India)
Day 9 Rs26.50 crore net (Box Office India)/ Rs25 crore (KoiMoi.com): Hindi-Urdu alone
First nine days' total Rs292 crore* (KoiMoi.com)/ Rs292 crore net (Box Office India)
Day 10 Rs33 crore net: Hindi-Urdu alone/ Box Office India
First ten days' total Domestic net: ₹ 324.50 crore-- Box Office India/ ₹321.50 crore -- KoiMoi.com
(Hindi-Urdu alone) Worldwide box office of ₹508 crore after ten days. (Box Office India)
Day 11/ Monday Rs 16.50 crore net (Box Office India)/Rs 15 crore net (KoiMoi.com)
First eleven days' total Domestic net: ₹ 342.75 crore (KoiMoi.com)
Day 12/ Tuesday ₹15.60 crore net KoiMoi.com/ ₹ 15.50 crore net Box Office India
First twelve days' total Domestic net: ₹358.35 crore net KoiMoi.com/ Rs. 357 crore net Box Office India
Day 13/ Wednesday ₹10.27 Cr (Box Office Times)
First thirteen days' total ₹367.59 Cr net (Box Office Times)
WEEK TWO: ₹138 crore (KoiMoi.com)/ ₹141 crore net apprx (Box Office India)
First fourteen days' total Domestic net: ₹386 crore. (Box Office India)
Day 15/ Third Friday ₹9.50 crore net
First fifteen days' total Domestic net: ₹395.50 crore net
Day 16/ Third Saturday ₹13.50 crore net
First sixteen days' total ₹413.75 crore domestic net (KoiMoi.com)
Day 17/ Third Sunday ₹16 crore net
First seventeen days' total ₹429 crore domestic net {KoiMoi.com)
Day 18/ Third Monday ₹7.75 crore (Box Office India)/ ₹7.2 crore (KoiMoi.com)
First eighteen days’ total ₹437.22 crore. (Box Office India) : Domestic net
(KoiMoi.com) points out this works out ‘to an astonishing average of ₹22.50 crore per day [in the first eighteen days] and that too without any major national festival holiday! [By way of comparison] in 2017, no other Hindi film has so far scored ₹22.50 crore on even its opening day (highest was Raees so far with ₹20.42 crore on its Day One)’
Day 19 / Third Tuesday ‘’₹7.50 crore (KoiMoi.com)/
First nineteen days’ total ₹447.50 (KoiMoi.com)/ ₹444.50 crore (Box Office India)
Day 20 / Third Wednesday ₹6.75 crore (KoiMoi.com)
First twenty days’ total ₹454.25 crore(KoiMoi.com)
Day 21 / Third Thursday ₹6.50 crore
First 21 days’ total ₹460.75 crore domestic net (KoiMoi.com)./ Domestic gross after 21 days: ₹633 crore (Box Office India)
WEEK THREE ₹67.25 crore net (probably KMC)/ ₹69.43 crore (Box Office India)
Day 22 / Fourth Friday ₹4 crore (Box Office India)
First 22 days’ total: ₹462 crore domestic net. This is the mean of ₹460.24 (Box Office India) and KoiMoi.com’s figure of around ₹464 crore.
Day 23 / Fourth Saturday ₹6.85 crore Box Office Times (Indpaedia’s own assessment is at least ₹1 crore lower)
First 23 days’ total/ i.e. after 20 May: ₹470 crore domestic net approx. (KoiMoi.com)
Day 24 / Fourth Sunday ₹7.10 crore Box Office Times/ ₹8.25 crore (KoiMoi.com)
First 24 days’ total/ i.e. after 21 May: ₹474.49 domestic net. (Box Office India)
Fourth weekend ₹18.25 crore apprx net (also a record) (Box Office India)
Day 25/ Fourth Monday: ₹3.25 crore (Box Office India)/ ₹3 crore approx. (KoiMoi.com)
First 25 days’ total ₹481.30 crore (KoiMoi.com)/ ₹478 crore nett (Box Office India)
First 27 days’ total (after fourth Wednesday) ₹486.50 crore (KoiMoi.com)
WEEK FOUR (Hindi-Urdu alone) ₹29.11 crore apprx (Box Office India)
First 28 days’ total ₹486.83 crore (Box Office India)
Day 29/ Fifth Friday: ₹1.75 crore net (Box Office India)
First 29 days’ total ₹489.17 crore (Box Office India)
Day 30/ Fifth Saturday: ₹2.75 crore net (Box Office India)
Day 31/ Fifth Sunday: ₹4 crore net (Box Office India)
First 31 days’ total ₹495.92 crore net
Fifth Weekend total: ₹8.50 crore net (Box Office India)
Day 32/ Fifth Monday: ₹1.50 crore apprx (Box Office India)
First 32 days’ total ₹497.53 crore apprx (Box Office India)
Day 34/ Fifth Wednesday: ₹1.10 crore (KoiMoi.com)
First 34 days’ total ₹501.25 crore (KoiMoi.com)
Day 35/ Fifth Thursday: ₹1 crore (KoiMoi.com)
First 35 days’ total ₹502.25 crore (KoiMoi.com)/ ₹500.53 crore (Box Office India)
WEEK FIVE ₹12.41 crore net (Box Office India)
Day 36/ Sixth Friday: ₹75 lakh net. Box Office India notes that this was ‘the first time [after its release] that (Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)) has not created a daily record.’ Gadar holds the record.
First 36 days’ total ₹501 crore net Box Office India
Day 37/ Sixth Saturday: ₹1 crore (Box Office India)
Day 38/ Sixth Sunday: ₹1.25 crore (Box Office India)
First 38 days’ total ₹502.94 crore apprx (Box Office India)
Sixth Weekend total: ₹3 crore (Box Office India)
First 42 days’ total: ₹504 crore net (Box Office India) The domestic gross after 8 June was ₹728.53 cr (KoiMoi.com).
WEEK SIX ₹4.75 crore (Box Office India) This is not a record but the second position as in June 2017. Gadar holds the record.
Week Seven ₹2.46 crore (Box Office India)
Week Eight ₹1.44 crore (Box Office India)
Week Nine (5 Days) ₹25 lakh apprx (Box Office India)
61 days’ total ₹509.47 crore net; ₹711.50 crore gross (Box Office India)
IMAX
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) was India’s third film to be screened on IMAX. With 66 theatres it had a much bigger IMAX release than its two predecessors.
Opening weekend collection from IMAX theatres Box Office Times
India domestic ₹2.14 Cr from 10 theatres
Worldwide ₹14.77 Cr gross from 66 theatres
Karnataka
There was no Kannada version.
Karnataka Day 1: ₹16.3 crore net; ₹19.5 crore gross. (Update Bro)
First seven days total in Karnataka: ₹62.1 crore gross/ ₹29.50 crore ‘share’ (Telugu Frames)
Nineteen days net (till Tues. 16 May 2017)₹72 crore (Box Office India)
Thirty days net (after Sat. 27 May 2017) ₹77 crore (not including Hindi) (Box Office India)
First 40 days’ net ₹78 crore in Karnataka / Mysore (not including Hindi) (Box Office India, at the end of 6 June 2017)
Malayalam
Day 1: Kerala ₹5 crore net; ₹6 crore gross. (Update Bro)
2nd Day ₹8.55 Cr
3rd Day ₹13.55 Cr
4th day ₹6.50 cr
5th day ₹3.50 Cr
First seven days total in Kerala: ₹33.5 crore gross/ ₹15.34 crore ‘share’ (Telugu Frames)
8th day ₹1.50 Cr
9th day ₹2.50 Cr
10th day ₹4.50 Cr
11th day ₹95 Lakh
12th day ₹85 Lakh
13th day/ Wednesday ₹66 lakh (Box Office Times)
14th day/ Thursday (projected figure): ₹0. 55 crore
Second week’s total: ₹11.50 crore gross
First two weeks’ total: ₹45.01 crore GROSS.
15th day/ Third Friday ₹60 lakh (Box Office Times)
16th day/ Third Saturday ₹90 lakh (Box Office Times)
17th day/ Third Sunday ₹98 lakh (Box Office Times)
Nineteen days net (till Tues. 16 May 2017) ₹46 crore NET (Box Office India)
Thirty days net (after Sat. 27 May 2017) ₹55 crore (Box Office India)
First 40 days’ total ₹56 crore in Kerala (Box Office India, at the end of 6 June 2017, added that Kerala was the only Indian state in which the film had not set a record)
Sreedhar Pillai: Box office history in Kerala
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) released across a record 315 screens in Kerala. In its fourth week it retained almost 75 percent of the screens. It also managed to retain multiplex big screens and almost the same number of shows in its fourth week as it was released on.
As per trade sources, Baahubali 2 has done the best in Kochi (largest concentration of multiplexes in Kerala, with high ticket rates), followed by the Malabar area (Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts) and then Travancore area. The left liberal media in North India has said the Baahubali franchise was a pro-Hindutva film — which makes it noteworthy that in Kerala, it has performed outstandingly in the Muslim belt of Malabar and key Syrian Christian areas in Central Kerala.
Distributors were willing to play it on all screens and did not demand advance from theaters, a regular practice in Kerala. Instead, distributors offered the film free but with stiff terms and conditions, in many places they got 65 percent of the net in the first two weeks. And after a battle with multiplexes they managed to squeeze 55 percent in the first week. Twenty-one new screens in Kerala opened with Baahubali 2, which brought in the additional revenue.
Overseas
First weekend overseas
From Update Bro
|
USA |
₹68-70 crore |
|
UAE / GCC (Gulf Countries) |
₹25 crore |
|
AUS / NZ |
₹14 crore |
|
Nepal |
₹10 crore |
|
UK |
₹4 crore |
|
Europe+ Canada + Malaysia + Singapore + Others |
₹14 crore |
Chart ends
Australia
A$2.23 million with Telugu (A$875,000), Hindi (A$840,000) and Tamil (A$515,000)
Taran Adarsh, citing Rentrak gave the following figures for the first two days in Australia
Fri A$ 211,996, Hindi version
Sat A$ 325,678, Hindi version.
Opening weekend (Hindi Version) ₹ 4.04 CrBox Office Times Australia
Opening weekend (Tamil Version) ₹ 2.47 Cr Box Office Times Australia
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) all languages A$4.25 million (an all time record)
New Zealand
Taran Adarsh, citing Rentrak gave the following figures for the first two days:
Fri NZ$ 84,782 Hindi version
Sat NZ$ 115,398. Hindi version
Opening weekend Box Office Times NZ (Hindi Version) ₹ 1.33 Cr
UAE/ Gulf
Day 1 ₹16 Crore gross (From Update Bro)
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) (Box Office India)
Gulf (i.e. UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar)
Hindi-Urdu - $3,710,244
Telugu - $1,666,723
Tamil - $3,216,139
Malayalam - $1,498,504
TOTAL - $10,114,681 (all languages)
After 19 days (i.e. end of Tues. 16 May 2017) all languages $11.1 million
UK
‘The Telugu version [is] hardly being screened on the main chains so it is all unreported business’ ((Box Office India).
Opening weekend (Hindi Version) ₹ 1.62 CrBox Office Times UK
Opening weekend (Tamil Version) ₹ 1.75 Cr Box Office Times UK
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) all languages £2 million plus (Box Office India)
US and Canada
Thursday/ Day 1 - $2,540,000/ Rs. 16.2 crore (‘Apparently, the film has grossed even more than Hollywood releases and that this is the first time an Indian film is topping the charts.’ (-April 29, 2017 | KoiMoi.com)
Friday - $4,546,608
Saturday - $3,489,141
First, 3-day weekend
TOTAL: $18-19 million (Roughly Rs 121 crore).
Box Office India points out: This figure is for 3 days only, and does not include i) Thursday’s paid- previews [Thursday previews yielded $2.5 million according to the Forbes report cited on this page]; or ii) collections from ‘the Telugu and Tamil versions [that] are playing on hire at many places at double or [triple] the normal ticket rates and this is not reported ‘ (because of its illegal nature).
US / Canada first weekend total (including the hire centres): around $11 million [Even this is a conservative figure. The The New York Times report cited on this page says that the film collected $10.1 million legally from the USA alone]
Sunday - $2,317,929
Monday - $587,486
Tuesday - $1,066,750
Wednesday - $530,330
Unreported Fixed Hire Halls - $250,000 - $350,000 (Box Office India writes: ‘Many halls have been hired to play the Telugu version at exorbitant rates at a minimum $30 and the contribution from unreported can be more than listed’ here)
First week’s GRAND TOTAL - $12,838,244 ($12.8 million) (Box Office India)
Opening weekend [North America (Telugu) ₹ 65.5 Cr http://www.boxofficetimes.com/baahubali-2-5th-daytuesday-collection-bahubali-2-collections-5-days.html Box Office Times]
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) in US / Canada all languages $19.65 million (a new record) (Box Office India)
Overseas (total)
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) Total of the big four markets of United Kingdom, US / Canada, Gulf and Australia: $36.50 million (INR 234 cr) (Box Office India)
After third weekend (i.e. the end of Sun 14 May 2017) Overseas total $40.30 million (Rs.259 crore) in seventeen days. (Box Office India)
After three weeks ₹275 crore (KoiMoi.com)
Tamil
Day 1: Tamil Nadu ₹9.2 crore net; ₹11 crore gross. (Update Bro)
2nd Day ₹12.20 Cr
3rd Day ₹19.20 Cr
4th day ₹8.22 Cr
5th day ₹6.22 Cr
First seven days total in Tamil Nadu: ₹62.0 crore gross/ ₹33.28 crore ‘share’ (Telugu Frames)
8th day ₹3.22 Cr
9th day ₹5.22 Cr
10th day ₹6.22 Cr
11th day ₹2.10 Cr
12th day ₹1.80 Cr
13th day/ Wednesday ₹1.10 Cr (Box Office Times)
14th day/ Thursday (projected figure): ₹0.92 crore gross
Second week’s total: ₹20.58 crore gross
First two weeks’ total: ₹82.58 crore GROSS.
15th day/ Third Friday ₹1.05 crore (Box Office Times)
16th day/ Third Saturday Tamil ₹1.22 crore ( Box Office Times)
17th day/ Third Sunday Tamil ₹1.50 crore (Box Office Times)
Nineteen days net (till Tues. 16 May 2017) ₹88 crore NET (Box Office India)
Thirty days net (after Sat. 27 May 2017) ₹104 crore (not including Hindi) (Box Office India)
First 40 days’ total ₹107 crore in Tamil Nadu (not including Hindi) (Box Office India, at the end of 6 June 2017, added ‘In Tamil Nadu the GROSS figures are the highest of all time but the NET and distributor share are not.’)
Telugu
Day 1: ₹53 Cr net, ₹58 Cr gross
Note: These figures are for AP/ Nizam, where Hindi-Urdu prints, too, were widely screened.
Day 1
|
Area |
Net |
Gross |
|
Total Andhra Pradesh |
₹34 Cr |
₹37.3 Cr |
|
Ceded |
7 Cr |
7.2 Cr |
|
Nizam |
12 Cr |
13.5 Cr |
|
Total AP & Telangana |
₹53 Cr |
₹58 Cr |
Day 1 chart ends
2nd Day ₹39.62 Cr
3rd Day ₹48.62 Cr
4th day ₹36.44 Cr
5th day ₹23.86 Cr
First week
|
Area |
Collections |
|
Nizam |
35.39 crore |
|
Ceded |
20.45 crore |
|
Uttarandhra |
15.12 crore |
|
East |
11.97 crore |
|
West |
9.29 crore |
|
Krishna |
8.39 crore |
|
Guntur |
11.95 crore |
|
Nellore |
4.57 crore |
|
Total |
₹117.13 crore |
First seven days total in AP/Telangana, as Telugu Frames clarifies, was ₹168.7 crore gross/ ₹117.7 crore ‘share’
First week chart ends
8th day ₹15.86 Cr
9th day ₹20.86 Cr
10th day ₹23.86 Cr
11th day ₹14.00 Cr
12th day ₹10.00 Cr
13th day/ Wednesday ₹8.86 Cr (Box Office Times)
14th day/ Thursday (projected figure): ₹7.39 crore gross
Second week’s total: ₹100.83 crore gross
First two weeks’ total: ₹269.53 crore GROSS.
15th day/ Third Friday ₹8.56 crore (Box Office Times)
16th day/ Third Saturday ₹10.44 crore (Box Office Times)
17th day/ Third Sunday ₹12.55 crore (Box Office Times)
Nineteen days net (till Tues. 16 May 2017) ₹242 crore NET from Nizam / Andhra (Box Office India) (Nizam, i.e. Telangana, is a huge territory for the Hindi-Urdu version and Andhra a fairly big territory for Hindi-Urdu films)
Thirty days net (after Sat. 27 May 2017) ₹265 crore (not including Hindi) (Box Office India)
First 40 days’ net ₹269 crore in Nizam / Andhra (not including Hindi) (Box Office India, at the end of 6 June 2017)
Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu outside their states
Earnings from Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam versions screened in Mumbai, Delhi / UP, East Punjab, Rajasthan, CP Berar, CI, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Marathwada
Thirty days net (after Sat. 27 May 2017) ₹9.50 crore (Box Office India)
First 40 days’ net ₹9.50 crore (Box Office India, at the end of 6 June 2017)
Reviews, box-office reports (international)
The first review was from Dubai, and it was a rave
This was the first review of the film published anywhere in the world, including India
The first review of the film by a member of the UAE Censor Board, Umair Sandhu, who has given the much awaited movie of the year a 'five star'.
Umair took to his social networking account to post his review ratings for the film.He thanked Rajamouli for setting a new trend in India cinema and taking it to new heights.
Anushka Shetty
He wrote: " #Baahubali2 !! Thank u @ssrajamouli for setting New Trend of Indian Cinema & taking it to new heights. TOTALLY SPECTACULAR ! ☆☆☆☆☆ (sic)."
The critic has compared Baahubali 2 to the Hollywood blockbusters like The Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter series for its realistic sets. With 5/5 rating he also mentions that all actors in the film have done complete justice to their respective roles.
CNN: ‘Bringing Hollywood to India’
In the past, Indian films have been known for having cheap, low-quality special effects.
But that's starting to change. "Baahubali 2" is the most computer-graphics-intensive movie shot in India, according to film producer Shobu Yarlagadda, using about 2,500 CG shots. This made up about 85% of the movie.
The studio that created its effects has a branch in the southern city of Hyderabad.
Special effects don't come cheap, however. The combined budget for the two Baahubali films was $75 million.
And that budget is due to be blown out of the water by the upcoming "Randamoozham," a $155 million-budget fantasy epic based on the Sanskrit poem the "Mahabharata."
At 1.8 million words and nearly 10 times the length of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" combined, the "Mahabharata" is the longest poem ever written.
"Randamoozham" is set to be India's most expensive film ever and another sign that its film industry is reaching new heights.
CNN's Manveena Suri contributed reporting.
The Daily Mail: ‘Made more than Tom Hanks' film The Circle'
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion opened in only 405 US theaters, but was still third for its opening weekend at the box office
The Indian film made more ($10m) than Tom Hanks' film The Circle ($9.3m)
Baahubali is also the highest grossing Indian box-office release of all time
This Bollywood film has smashed all kinds of box office records - even beating out Tom Hanks and Emma Watson.
On top of that Baahubali is unlike any other Indian film Americans have seen.
It wasn't made in Hindi, the language of Bollywood films. It's in the Telugu language. Instead of being produced in Mumbai, where mainstream Bollywood movies are made, Baahubali was produced in the southern city of Hyderabad.
Many of India's most popular Bollywood films tend to be romantic comedies or dramas, but this movie has intense battle scenes and uses more special effects. And the list of actors doesn't include commonly known Bollywood stars.
It remained in the top ten in its second weekend, earning almost $3.25 million.
Baahubali earned $120 million in its first week worldwide, making it the highest grossing Indian box-office release of all time, reports the LA Times.
Film industry expert Akshaye Rathi in Mumbai said: 'It has shown that if you make universal content that appeals to an audience cutting across demographics, language barriers, regions, you can achieve this kind of success.'
It is rare for films made in India to surpass the region from which they were made, yet Baahubali did and continues to be popular among Indians around the world, even those who are not from the southern region of the country, according to the LA Times.
The franchise does have elements that are common in Bollywood films, like dance numbers, but the battle scenes and special effects set the fantasy epic apart.
Though Baahubali does follow the norms of films made in the southern region of India, it has still made an impact worldwide
Forbes: The third-biggest foreign language debut ever
In what could be a learning moment for Hollywood, films aimed at specific and underserved audiences kicked major butt this weekend while the one comparatively conventional wide release stumbled.
The top opener of the weekend is Pantelion and Lionsgate's How to Be A Latin Lover. Eugenio Derbez's rom-com earned $12 .01 million in 1,118 theaters.
To paraphrase the tagline of the Superman series: You will believe that a ship can fly.
The other "Holy crap!" moment for the weekend was in the form of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. To be honest, there is usually one Bollywood or Tollywood offering that opens in limited release almost every weekend, and I usually ignore them because they tend to open halfway decently and then disappear the next weekend. They are the definition of one-weekend wonders. And while Baahubaili 2 may prove to be another one-and-done performer, it just had a heck of a first weekend.
After making around $2.5 million in Thursday previews alone, the film earned a terrific $10.1m over the weekend on 425 screens, including 45 IMAX screens where it made $1.8m. That's a dynamite $23.7k per-location-average, with a $40k per-screen-average for the IMAX auditoriums. The film is a follow-up to the 2015 hit Baahubali: The Beginning (around $100 million worldwide, including $77m in India alone). The 2015 picture earned $3.575m on 236 screens for what turned out to be a $6.7m domestic total. Both films were shot back-to-back for around $40m, and the first film apparently ended on a cliffhanger.
It has earned the third-biggest foreign language debut ever, behind only Jet Li's Fearless ($10.6m in 2006) and Jet Li's Hero ($18m in 2004).
The Guardian,4/5: ‘Baahubali’s heart is bigger than its budget,muscle’
Had Mahishmati had an international airport, as Hyderabad does today, Sir Walter Raleigh could have conveniently come over to pick up tips on chivalry.
The second part of India’s most expensive film ever is a jaw-dropping blockbuster that combines nimble action with genuine heart
The budget’s big, the muscle considerable,but they’re nothing compared to Baahubali’s heart.
Fantastic bang for your buck
Here, once again, is thunderous spectacle unlikely to be surpassed in several summers, and clinching proof of writer-director SS Rajamouli’s position among world cinema’s boldest imagemakers.
Entirely absent, again, is any cynicism: it’s amazing that a blockbuster with a long pre-title rollcall of “brand partners” should then be permitted to tell a story that could have been filmed in 1917, or 917, if they’d had equipment for a Baahu to lug. This production’s triumph is the room it’s granted Rajamouli to head into the fields and dream up endlessly expressive ways to frame bodies in motion.
Of the many sequences here primed to cut through jadedness, perhaps the most wondrous is that which finds Baahu guiding Deva mid-battle to shoot three arrows simultaneously – a set piece that speaks both to a love of action, and love in action.
The New York Times: ‘especially strong turnout’
The three most popular films at the North American box office over the weekend featured largely nonwhite casts, as “How to Be a Latin Lover” and an import from India, “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion,” joined “The Fate of the Furious” on theater marquees. Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst at comScore, called the offerings “an uncommon blend of welcome diversity.”
“The Fate of the Furious” (Universal), directed by F. Gary Gray and starring the likes of Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson and Ludacris, was No. 1 for a third consecutive weekend.
“How to Be a Latin Lover” (Pantelion-Lionsgate), which cost about $10 million to make, was second. It sold about $12 million in tickets.
Despite only playing in 420 locations — to compare, “How to Be a Latin Lover” was booked into 1,118 theaters — “Baahubali 2” took in an estimated $10.1 million. IMAX theaters had an especially strong turnout, especially at locations in areas with large Indian populations like New Jersey and Michigan; the film, directed by S. S. Rajamouli and starring Prabhas, is a Telugu-language fantasy epic.
Variety: impressive box office results
Great India Films’ launch of Bollywood action sequel “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” — a sequel to 2015’s “Baahubali: The Beginning” — is also showing impressive results with $9.1 million at just 450 locations.
Wall Street Journal: ‘Reflects USA’s shifting demographics’
How an Indian Superhero Film Beat Hollywood Competitors | SBDB forums, excerpting from Wall Street Journal
‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ is the highest-grossing Indian film in history. In the U.S., it beat ‘The Boss Baby,’ ’The Circle’ and other Hollywood fare.
It …average[ed] $24,364 per screen. The No. 1 film the same weekend, “The Fate of The Furious,” averaged only $4,890 per screen, on 4,077 screens.
It was the all-time biggest domestic IMAX opening for a foreign-language film, playing in 45 IMAX theaters targeted to areas with large Indian populations, according to IMAX.
The blockbuster premiere reflected shifting demographics across America. Although the Indian-American population represents only 1% of the U.S., it is fast-growing with high disposable income. The Indian-American population grew to nearly 3 million in 2010, up 69% from 2000. In 2014 Indian citizens accounted for 70% of H-1B employment applications in the U.S.
Says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at box-office tracker comScore: “The fact that a massive theater chain like AMC showcased the film, and broke records, could open the door to an expansion of the release of these Bollywood/Tollywood gems, and bring them a more mainstream audience.”
Indian star Prabhas plays the human demigod Amarendra Baahubali, a sort of cross between Hercules and Braveheart. The film features human catapults and a stampede of bulls with flaming horns. There are shirtless, muscular men swinging swords and women in flowing rainbows of saris. The lavish song-and-dance numbers make “La La Land” look like amateur hour. Battle scenes are just as choreographed, aided by frequently unsubtle computer imagery, especially for the many scenes that depict animals. (Indian law prohibits many uses of real animals in films.)
Soma Kancherla, a partner in Great India Films, the distributor of “Baahubali 2” in North America, says Indian films are finding a growing audience in the U.S. But he thinks a successful import like “Baahubali 2” remains a once-in-a-while event and believes the crossover appeal of Indian films to non-Indian audiences has a ways to go. But popular Indian films like the “Baahubali” movies, which mix adventure, tragedy, violence, romance, and music, haven’t connected with Western audiences the way those smaller, more independent-feeling films have.
Mathew’s summary: Surprisingly, only one international review
Suresh Mathew | How International Media Responded to ‘Baahubali 2’ | May 9, 2017| The Quint
Baahubali 2 is India’s biggest blockbuster and it has also got the international media sitting up and taking notice, but mostly after its huge success. Surprisingly, apart from The Guardian, no one seems to have actually reviewed the film on its release. [Indpaedia adds: The Guardian can always be counted on to review Indian films, arthouse as well as major commercial. It is a left-leaning newspaper with a very international outlook. Its relationship with Indian films dates back to at least the 1980s.]
Here’s a quick look at how the foreign press reacted to the sequel.
A report in BBC calls Baahubali 2: The Conclusion “a sensation of billowing hair and bulging muscles”.
The news report also has film critic Mike McCahill pointing out that, “It’s also the Indian film industry flexing its muscles and saying - Look at what we can do on a fraction of the budget of a Fast and Furious or a Guardians of the Galaxy”.
Writing for Deadline.com, Nancy Tartagilone speaks to BoxOfficeGuru.com editor Gitesh Pandya who says - It is a giant blockbuster, as a Telugu film in North America, its core appeal was to a subset of the overall Indian-American population and there was very little overlap with Bollywood fans. The cliffhanger created a dizzying amount of hype for the concluding chapter to the saga, so Baahubali 2 was even more of an event film that fans needed to see right away.
The BBC Asian network did [an] interesting 20-minute Facebook Live with SS Rajamouli and Anushka Shetty last week while the team was in London.
Not many amongst the international media have reviewed Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, but they are reporting on its phenomenal box-office performance.
The Hollywood Reporter has been religiously tracking Baahubali 2’s box-office numbers. “With the film collecting $13.1 million in the US, Baahubali 2 also beat previous record-holder Dangal's $12.4 million total haul in the territory” notes a report on the platform.
Variety has excitedly reported about the possibility of a Baahubali 3. They featured an exclusive interview with director SS Rajamouli where the filmmaker says, “Because we have the market and if we made a film for the market without having a compelling story, that would not be honest filmmaking. But who knows, if my father comes up with a compelling story, like he did before, then there is no stopping, we can always make it.”
While the impact of Baahubali 2’s commercial success seems to have been well reflected, we’d surely have liked more reviews of the film in the international press. If not for its scale and VFX, Baahubali’s mythological and exotic elements would’ve appealed to the foreign media for sure.
‘Complete absence of reviews in media’
Despite the film reaching $16 million earning at US box office, the film has remained an Indian phenomenon. There has been a complete absence of reviews in media which are not Indian. WSJ quotes film’s US distributor as saying, “Critics on Yahoo or Rotten Tomatoes, or somewhere. I haven’t seen anything like that.” Interestingly, on Rotten Tomatoes — the review aggregator — Baahubali 2 had a 92% audience score and no rating from critics. While two foreign organisations gave rating to the film, it was still not enough to get it overall critic rating. Its huge success on IMAX could not help it being replaced by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the very next week on almost all the screens.
Reviews (national)
Business Standard: ‘A colossal bore’
J Jagannath| Baahubali 2 - The Conclusion is a colossal bore |April 28, 2017 | Business Standard
Beneath its dazzling veneer, this emperor has no clothes
The worst [of this film] is basically 150 minutes and the best is around 20 minutes. After a fairly decent first part, director S S Rajamouli seems to have gotten a carte blanche from his producers to let his imagination go unfettered in the second part.
He did make a wild and weird movie but it ends up being a distended mess.
The first 60 minutes of the movie are slow and the comedy track involving Subba Raju as the simple-minded cousin of Deva Sena barely evokes any laughs.
Second half is how righteousness of both Sivagami and Baahubali lets Bhallaladeva unfurl a vortex of tragedies until his nephew (Mahendra Baahubali) returns to avenge for the deaths. For the last 22 months, we always knew that the antagonist is going to die a bad death in the hands of his blood-thirsty nephew. We have been waiting for the journey for a predestined destination but Rajamouli disappoints. He goes offtrack way too often and by the end we are left huffing and puffing that the whole fuss around Kattappa killing Baahubali is fairly predictable.
The second part is flushed with adrenaline and there's a phallic-like symbolism attached to Prabhas right from the word go. In the initial parts, each twitch of his muscle sends the audience into raptures but even he couldn't salvage the movie in the post-interval happenings. Ramya Krishna's character is an oddity. For all the strength she displays as a strong female character in a male-dominated movie, she falls easy prey to hearsay.
Anushka does her bit well but she was far better in the first part where she would be the only one hissing at Bhallaladeva. Rana Daggubati as the scheming villain and Nassar as his father are functionally good. Sathyaraj's intense tumult in the whole sequence is brilliant.
M M Keeravani tries to lift up the sagging plot with his soaring background music and feels like he's over-compensating for his meh-inducing soundtrack barring the title track.
The movie hits its stride only after two hours of a grueling set up and by then, you would be world weary and just going with the motions.
The Hindu: 4.5/5; ‘Marvel superheroes would be put to shame.’
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo | APRIL 28, 2017 Baahubali 2: a befitting conclusion | The Hindu
S.S. Rajamouli ups the game with well-defined characters, an absorbing narrative and a visually stunning spectacle
Baahubali – The Conclusion is a game changer. Years from now, filmmakers who dream big but shy away from taking that leap of faith will probably draw strength from the work of this team.
With The Conclusion, the team makes The Beginning seem like child’s play. They raise the bar to give us a visually breathtaking film that also makes up for a few aspects that were found wanting in part one.
Rajamouli he gives us well-defined back-stories (story by Vijayendra Prasad) with the necessary emotional heft.
As each of these characters reveal to what extent they can go for their convictions, the actors’ real names seem like a blur. You’d rather give in to their screen names and parts.
It’s Anushka who’s a revelation. Not even in Rudhramadevi did she shine as she does as Devasena. Thrown into an unenviable situation, she stands her ground and questions the basic tenets of the kingdom.
A hat tip to the team that made it possible, from cinematographer Senthil Kumar to production department captained by Sabu Cyril and the visual effects team.
The downer in this fantastically-mounted spectacle is the climactic portion — let’s just say Marvel superheroes would be put to shame.
For the most part, The Conclusion doesn’t let us take our eyes off the screen. It’s designed to be a cinematic celebration, one that deserves to be watched on the largest screen possible.
Indian Express: 2/5; ‘The Conclusion is bigger, not better’
Shubhra Gupta | Bahubali The Conclusion is bigger, but not better| April 28, 2017 | Indian Express
Prabhas plays Bahubali with great strength and some war sequences take your breath away. However, SS Rajamouli's epic sure suffers from sequilitis.
For two years the nation has been wanting to know, the hysteria increasing with every passing day: why did Kattappa kill Bahubali? Smart viewers would probably have guessed the answer.
We get the answer, but after long, infernally silly romantic interludes: romance is not really SS Rajamouli’s strength. And everything after the big reveal, which really isn’t half as big as was promised, seems like anti-climactic excess. At the end of nearly three hours, I can tell you that the second part is not half as satisfying or fun as the original.
What took our breath away in 2015 is same old in 2017. Yes, it is bigger, but it is not better. And it feels much louder. Not just the background music but the pitch at which the declamatory dialogues are delivered is deafening: there were times I felt like closing my ears.
Only in some places when the battle scenes and the fighting is choreographed beautifully and with great energy do you sit up and watch with interest. A couple of times you laugh out loud in appreciation at the sheer spectacle: thousands upon thousands of soldiers, a vista that fills the eye and more, and a hero cleaving through, his eye on the win.
And that brings me to Prabhas, the only one who doesn’t drown in familiarity. He plays Bahubali, he of great strength, with as much verve and vigour as in the first part. Striding across the screen, his ‘dhoti’ and vest and armour all in the right place, he comes across as the perfect action hero, complete eye candy, and the biggest strength of the film.
I enjoyed the first part enormously. Baahubali The Conclusion comes to life only intermittently. Leaving the theatre, you can’t help wishing that Kattapa had killed the fellow earlier, for us to get a tighter, more economical and perhaps sharper conclusion.
The Times of India: 4/5: ‘Savour the visual extravaganza’
Meena Iyer| Apr 28, 2017 | The Times of India
CRITIC'S RATING: 4.0/5
AVG READERS' RATING: 4.4/5
Recounted in the folklore-meets-Aesop’s fable-style, the plot is simple and carries the good triumphs over evil thought forward just like the first part did. Albeit with some childish conspiracy theories added in. Of course, the end comes together in a long-drawn climax that could have been 10-minutes shorter.
But don’t judge Baahubali. Just savour it. It is a visual extravaganza that India must feast on.
The Conclusion ups the scale on many counts—especially in heroism. Baahubali has been sketched out as such a symbol of strength and power that he makes you root for him throughout. Prabhas is terrific as father and son.
Indian cinephiles must salute Rajamouli for his vision and ambition. He once again gives us our Benhur and Ten Commandments experience rolled into one. Of course it is CGI and VFX that grab you in your seat, but Baahubali also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The romance between Devasena and Amarendra has the Titanic fervour. While the performances of the lead cast are all believable, it is Peter Hein’s action—with Baahubali doing the Van Damme split and some sweeps that set your spirits soaring.
Latching on to a phenomenon
Amul’s predictable ad
Older Amul advertisements can be seen at Amul (Anand Milk Federation Union Limited)
See graphic.
Surely the tagline at the bottom should have been:
‘Enjoy this block butter!’
(Classic Amul advertisements can be seen on the page Amul (Anand Milk Federation Union Limited))
Animated series for Amazon: Baahubali: The Lost Legends
Amazon Prime Video’s India service launched an animated series “Baahubali: The Lost Legends,” created by SS Rajamouli, Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks.
“What we managed to showcase in the [two Bãhubali] films was just the tip of the iceberg. The world of “Baahubali” can’t be encompassed into a film or two, simply because there’s so much more to tell and animation is another way to do that,” said Rajamouli. The “Baahubali” franchise also spans graphic novels, a VR experience and merchandise.
The launch of “The Lost Legends” coincided with the introduction of Amazon’s Fire TV stick in India.
Baahubali: The Lost Legends is set before the Kalakeya invasion depicted in the movie, when Baahubali and Bhallaladeva are still both young princes of Mahishmati. Two brothers competing to rule the greatest kingdom of its age and the epic adventures they must endure to prove they are worthy to one day wear the crown. Under the watchful eye of Sivagami, and the warrior Katappa, one shall rise to be King of the throne, while the other shall become King of the people.
The animated series featured new, never before revealed stories about the characters from the film including Prince Baahubali, Bhallaladeva, Kattapa and Sivagami as well as dozens of new characters that would expand the world of Baahubali and reveal hidden secrets for millions of fans. The series followed the relationship between the two cousins as they journey across the Kingdom of Mahishmati, uncovering hidden mysteries, stopping ancient terrors and defending their people from danger.
Graphic India, co-founder and CEO, Sharad Devarajan added: "Filled with political intrigue, betrayal, war, action and adventure, this animated series will take audiences on new adventures beyond the film as we learn for the first time the events that shaped Baahubali from a young prince into a legendary hero. Amazon Prime Video is the perfect partner to help us reach Baahubali's millions of fans through their unparalleled digital reach."
The animated series was conceived by S S Rajamouli, Sharad Devarajan and Arka Mediaworks, who will all be producers along with Jeevan J. Kang who will serve as Graphic's EVP creative and the lead character designer for the new animated series. Graphic's senior animation writer, Ashwin Pande, will also be a producer.
Bãhubali- style jewellery
‘Baahubali’ style designer jewellery collection out! |April 28, 2017| IANS
The jewellery is designed by Jaipur-based store, which has stores across India in 30 locations.
The official Jaipur-based jewellery designers for “Baahubali 2” launched the “Baahubali” collection at its stores.
The collection comprises of 1,000 pieces out of 1500 pieces of gold-plated, silver, kundan, multi-coloured precious stones, pearls used in the film, including nose pins, necklaces, bangles, ‘mangtikas’, anklets, bracelets, ear rings, toe rings, waist belts (Vaddanams in case of women), arm band and others.
The entire jewellery is hand crafted and multipurpose. There is one set which can be used as necklace as well as ‘Thagdi’ (worn on the waist).
There are jewellery pieces as small as a nosepin that costs Rs 600 and as costly as necklace Rs 58,000.A huge team of designers worked at the company’s Design Studio at Jaipur and Hyderabad for well over two years.
After having done a number of pieces for “Baahubali 1: The Beginning”, the Jaipur-based company was officially brought on board to be the jewelry designer for the magnum opus’ second edition, according to Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, Co-founders.
Special pieces were especially commissioned for the film at the Amrapali Design Studio that were created in tandem with the team of designers and craftsmen from Amrapali and the team of Baahubali, they stated.
Bahubali fashions
EPIC INSPIRATION | India Today
Film merchandise has been big business for decades. BollyWoo, an e-commerce start-up that sells wardrobe replicas, has taken it to a new level-working with large production houses to sell the outfits, accessories and even the locations featured in their films. For the company's latest gig, six designers developed ready-to-wear apparel inspired by the costumes used in Baahubali-just in time for the launch of the epic franchise's second instalment, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion later this month.
"I wanted to keep it adventurous. In a way it speaks of my own trekking journeys," says Delhi-based Mrinalini Gupta, who developed a line of jackets and loose pants with a rustic twist inspired by a scene in which Baahubali scales a mountain. Showcased at a fashion show in Mumbai on April 7, the designers agreed to create more commercial collections than their usual work-in keeping with the mass market appeal of the film. "We wanted to venture into southern cinema and approached Baahubali with the idea of launching a ready-to-wear collection inspired by the film, as this would attract a very different audience from the one that would have gone to see the film and also ensure popularity in the north," says BollyWoo spokeswoman Tanmaya Vyas.
Yogesh Chaudhary, another designer who worked on the collection, says his work features motifs and prints of the shield used by the antagonist in the film. "I liked the lion better than the horse," he says. "The collection was a challenge and I chose the 'other' for my inspiration."
Cast and crew
Rana Daggubati as Bhallala Deva
Director
S.S. Rajamouli
Writer
Vijayendra Prasad
Cast
Rana Daggubati
Sathyaraj
Ramya Krishnan
Aryan Ashik
Nassar
Producers
Prasad Devineni ...
K. Raghavendra Rao
Shobu Yarlagadda
Cinematography
Senthil Kumar
Production Design
Sabu Cyril
Costume Design
Rama Rajamouli
Music
M.M. Keeravani
See also
Bahubali: The Beginning (2015)
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
