| Baahubali: The Beginning | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Screenplay by | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Story by | V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| Dialogues by |
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| Produced by | Shobu Yarlagadda Prasad Devineni |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | K. K. Senthil Kumar |
| Visual effects by | V. Srinivas Mohan |
| Edited by | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao |
| Music by | M. M. Keeravani |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | |
| Country | India |
| Languages | Telugu Tamil |
| Budget | ₹170 crore[3] |
| Box office | ₹600–650 crore[a] |
Baahubali: The Beginning[b] is a 2015 Indianepicaction film co-written and directed byS. S. Rajamouli, and produced byShobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni underArka Media Works.[8][9] Produced in theTelugu film industry,[18] the film was shot in bothTelugu andTamil languages.[19][20] It featuresPrabhas in adual role alongsideRana Daggubati,Anushka,Tamannaah Bhatia,Ramya Krishnan,Sathyaraj, andNassar. The first ofa duology of films, it follows Sivudu, an adventurous young man who helps his love Avantika rescue Devasena, the princess of Kunthala who is now a prisoner under the tyrannical rule of king Bhallaladeva. The story concludes inBaahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).
The film's story was written by Rajamouli's fatherV. Vijayendra Prasad, who told him a story about Sivagami, a woman who carries a baby in her hand while crossing a river, and a few years later about Kattappa, which intrigued Rajamouli. His fascination withMahabharata and the tales ofAmar Chitra Katha andChandamama further fueled his interest in the story. It took the writers three months to complete the final draft. Thesoundtrack and background score were composed byM. M. Keeravani, while cinematography, production design, and visual effects (VFX) were handled byK. K. Senthil Kumar,Sabu Cyril, andV. Srinivas Mohan.
The film was made on a budget of₹170 crore ($26.4 million),[c] making it themost expensive Indian film at its time of release. The film opened worldwide on 10 July 2015 along with the dubbed versions inHindi andMalayalam. It received national and international acclaim for Rajamouli's direction, story, visual effects, cinematography, themes, action sequences, music, and performances,[22] and became a record-breaking box office success. With a worldwide box office gross of₹600–650 crore, it became thehighest-grossing Telugu film and thesecond highest-grossing Indian film worldwide at the time of its release. It is currently thesixth highest-grossing Telugu film of all time. At the time of its release, it also became thehighest-grossing Tamil film at the time of its release. Its Hindi dubbed version also broke several records by becoming the highest-grossing dubbed film in Hindi of all time. Both budget and box office records have since been surpassed byBaahubali 2: The Conclusion, thehighest-grossing film in India of all time.
Baahubali: The Beginning along withits successor, is widely regarded as one of the most influential films ofIndian cinema.[23][24] It became the first Indian film to be nominated forSaturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the42nd ceremony, includingBest Fantasy Film andBest Supporting Actress. It receivedseveral accolades such as theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film, and theNational Award for Best Special Effects. It won five awards from ten nominations, includingBest Telugu Film,Best Director – Telugu for Rajamouli, andBest Supporting Actress – Telugu for Ramya Krishna respectively, at the63rd Filmfare Awards South. A combined recut version ofThe Beginning andThe Conclusion, titledBaahubali: The Epic, was theatrically released worldwide on 31 October 2025.[25]
An injured middle-aged woman (Shivagamini Devi) emerges from a cave underneath a giant waterfall, carrying an infant. While trying to cross a raging river, she is swept away by the current. Facing imminent death, the woman holds the baby aloft and prays toLord Shiva to protect the child, Mahendra Baahubali, for the sake of his birth mother and the kingdom of Mahishmati. The tribesmen of Amburi rescue the child and the chieftain's wife, Sanga, adopts him, naming him Sivudu.
Sivudu grows up to be an ambitious and mischievous man, obsessed with ascending the waterfall despite Sanga's restraints. He exhibits superhuman strength by lifting theShiva Lingam and placing it at the foot of the waterfall, where he finds a face mask that falls from above. Realising that the mask belongs to a beautiful woman, he is determined to find its owner. With the same resolution, he successfully climbs the waterfall and discovers that the mask belongs to Avantika, a warrior woman belonging to a resistance group dedicated to rescuing Devasena, the captive princess, from the despotic king of Mahishmati,Bhallaladeva.
He overhears the group talking about Kattappa, who is known to be a good man, but is a slave who is bound to the throne and is loyal to the king despite despising him. Kattappa saves Bhallaladeva from a bull, and as his reward, asks Bhallaladeva to free Devasena - however, Bhalladeva refuses, insisting that Devasena must stay as his prisoner until she dies.
Smitten with Avantika, Sivudu pledges to fulfil her cause and sets out for Mahishmati. He infiltrates the kingdom disguised as a guard during the festivities of Bhallaladeva's birthday, where he rescues people from being crushed by Bhallaladeva's enormous golden statue. An elderly slave recognises him to be Baahubali and chants the name. Eventually, everyone at the celebration chants Baahubali's name, enraging Bhallaladeva. On the same night, Sivudu distracts Bhallaladeva and escapes from the city with Devasena, with Bhallaladeva's son Bhadra and Kattappa in pursuit.
They find Shivudu and ambush them. After seeing Bhadra torture Devasena, Shivudu breaks free and a fight breaks out. The members of her resistance group and the people of Amburi tribe, led by a worried Sanga, arrive at the scene. Sivudu beheads Bhadra to their shock and Devasena's glee. Kattappa, upon seeing Sivudu's face, falls at his feet and proclaims him to be Baahubali. Everyone bows to Sivudu, confusing him. Sivudu confronts Kattappa, demaning to know who he is. Kattappa reveals that he is the son of Amarendra Baahubali, the beloved warrior prince of Mahishmati, and the woman who died protecting him as an infant is the queen regent Sivagami Devi. He starts narrating the story.
Fifty years ago, King Vikramadeva of Mahishmati dies unexpectedly. When the kingdom is in dissarray, Sivagami, the wife of Vikramadeva's physically disabled elder brother, Bijjaladeva, takes the reigns of the kingdom herself. Bijjaladeva, who was denied the throne due to his wicked nature, desires to declare his infant son Bhallaladeva as the future king. However, Sivagami adopts Vikramadeva's orphaned infant, Amarendra Baahubali, and decides to raise him along with Bhallaladeva as her own son, with the intent of choosing the most efficient prince as the next king - this displeases Bijjaladeva. The princes grow up to be formidable warriors and are educated in all matters of ruling a kingdom. Bhallaladeva has retained the power-hungry nature of his father, while Baahubali is loved by the subjects of the kingdom.
Mahishmati faces threat from the savage tribe of Kalakeya, who lay siege to the kingdom. Bijjaladeva proposes that whoever repels the threat by murdering Inkoshi, the chieftain of Kalakeya, will be crowned as the King. As the battle begins, Baahubali uses innovative tactics to save any bystanders and inspires his soldiers to fight bravely for the kingdom while Bhallaladeva indiscriminately kills opponents and the captured subjects of Mahishmati. After Baahubali subdues Inkoshi, Bhallaladeva kills him and is expected to be crowned as the king, much to the displeasure of Kattappa and the people of Mahishmati. However, Sivagami announces Baahubali as the future king and Bhallaladeva as the Commander General, pointing out how he had shown his respect and saved his own people in the battle, whereas Bhalladeva had focused on the war alone.
Upon hearing about Amarendra Baahubali, Sivudu and his adoptive parents are awed desire to meet him, but Kattappa reveals that he was treacherously murdered. When Shivudu demands to know who had done it, Kattappa reveals that it was him who had killed Baahubali.
I was about 7 years old when I started reading comics calledAmar Chitra Katha that are published in India. They're not about a superhero, but they encompass all the stories of India, the folklore, the mythology, everything. But most of these stories are about Indian historical figures. I was fascinated by the forts, the battles, the kings, I not only used to read those stories but I kept telling those stories to my friends in my own way.
Baahubali: The Beginning was produced in theTelugu film industry[18] and filmed in both Telugu and Tamil languages simultaneously.[11][27] Distant shots, however, were only shot in Telugu and dubbed in Tamil.[28][29] As of July 2015[update], the film series was considered themost expensive in India.[30]
DirectorS. S. Rajamouli revealed that Baahubali is inspired by the epicMahabharata.[31]V. Vijayendra Prasad, the screenwriter and Rajamouli's father who wrote stories for most of Rajamouli's films, once again penned the story forBaahubali. Vijayendra Prasad revealed that Sivagami has shades of bothKunti andKaikeyi while Devasena is a warrior likeSita. He further added that he sees Baahubali as the story of Sivagami and Devasena.[32] He was also inspired by tales ofChandamama andAmar Chitra Katha comics.[33][34][35]
In February 2011, S. S. Rajamouli announced thatPrabhas would star in his upcoming movie.[36] In January 2013, he announced that the working title wasBaahubali. Actual film production started atRock Gardens inKurnool on 6 July 2013. The waterfall scenes were shot atAthirappilly Falls in Kerala, huge sets for theMahishmati kingdom were constructed atRamoji Film City inHyderabad, and the snow episodes in the film were shot in Bulgaria. The film boasts of one year pre-production work wherein 15,000 storyboard sketches for the film were created—the highest for any Indian Film as of this date.[when?] More than 90 percent of the film had visually enhanced shots and, according to the producer, more than 600 VFX artists worked for the film from 18 facilities around the world led byMakuta VFX and Firefly in Hyderabad,Prasad Studios in Hyderabad and Chennai,Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad,Tau Films, and Dancing Digital Animation and Macrograph in South Korea.Makuta VFX which had prior experience of working with S. S. Rajamouli was chosen as principal visual effects studio. The cinematography of the movie was done by KK Senthil Kumar for 380 days usingArri Alexa XT camera with Master Prime lens. This marked Rajamouli's first film using digital imagery.[citation needed]
Most of the film was shot inArriRaw format in 4:3 aspect ratio while ArriRaw 16.9 was used for slow motion shots at 120 fps. Open Gate format, which can use the full 3.4K sensor in the camera to produce frames larger than the standard ArriRaw format, was tapped in to get the maximum image quality in VFX shots.[37] Production designerSabu Cyril created 10,000 different kinds of weaponry including swords, helmets and armour required for the soldiers. To make the swords lightweight,carbon-fibre was used instead of steel.[38] 3D printing technology was used to create the head of the 100-foot Bhallaladeva statue in the movie.[39] Flexi foam was used to make lightweight armour with the look of leather.[39]V. Srinivas Mohan was chosen asvisual effects supervisor, andKotagiri Venkateswara Rao was the editor. P. M. Satheesh was the sound designer andPeter Hein was responsible for the action sequences. The costume designers were Rama Rajamouli and Prasanthi Tipirneni. The line producer was M. M. Srivalli.[40]
National Award winnerV. Srinivas Mohan was roped in asVisual effects supervisor forBaahubali.Makuta VFX which is based out of Hyderabad was chosen as principal visual effects studio and was responsible for more than 50% of the computer-generated imagery in the film.[41][better source needed] The majority of work done by Makuta involved bringing the 1500 foot waterfall to life, creating mountains and landscapes including the kingdom ofMahishmati, with its massive temples and courtyards.[42] Creating the waterfall took nearly two years as Makuta dealt with complexity influid dynamics andsimulations. Manuka claimed each frame of the waterfall sequence was treated as creating a new set and employed a different set of methodology.[41][better source needed]
Firefly Creative Studio of Hyderabad worked primarily on the avalanche and the war sequences, which account for nearly 25 minutes of the film. Firefly Creative was also involved in creating underwater VFX shots and in establishing backstories forKalakeya characters.Tau Films was responsible for creating the CGI bison, whilePrasad EFX from Hyderabad was responsible for some shots in pre and post battle episodes involving digital multiplication. Prasad also created a 3D image of Kattappa and mapped his head onto a duplicate actor in one of the scenes.[43]
Srushti VFX from Hyderabad was involved in digitally creating some of the shots in the war sequence along with Firefly Studios.[44]Annapurna Studios from Hyderabad was chosen asdigital intermediate partner for the film which is responsible for generating the digital feed with the best colour and audio for editing. For the first time in Indian movies,Academy Color Encoding System workflows were implemented along withInfinitely Scalable Information Storage keeping in mind the scale of digitally enhanced shots in the film.[45]Arka Media Works, production company ofBaahubali, teamed up withAMD to use the state of the art FireProGPUs W9100 and W8100 during post production.[46]
In an interview with Quartz, the co-founder of Makuta VFX stated, "Most ofBaahubali was developed in Hyderabad, home toTollywood, and used local talent. It was principally a homegrown feature produced by homegrown talent."[47]
The fictional language Kiliki (also referred to as Kilikili) spoken by the Kalakeyas, a ferocious warrior tribe, was created byMadhan Karky for the film. It is said[by whom?] to be the first fictional language to be created for Indian film.[48]
While Karky was pursuing a PhD in Australia, he took up a part-time job of teaching and baby-sitting children. During one such interaction, he thought it would be fun to create a new language that could be easily grasped. Basic words were first made up and opposites were represented by word reversals – me wasmin and you wasnim. The language, with 100 words, was called "Click" to highlight its simplicity. This formed the foundation forKiliki.[49]
On 21 February 2020, on the occasion ofInternational Mother Language Day, Rajamouli launched the official website of Kiliki language. He called the language as "world's youngest and easiest language."[50]
Rajamouli's cousinM. M. Keeravani composed the music and background score for this film and the sound supervision was done byKalyani Malik.[51] The Telugu version of the soundtrack album was released on 31 May 2015,[52][53] at theSri Venkateswara University Grounds. The album of the film's Tamil version was released on 7 June 2015,[54] while the soundtrack of the Hindi and Malayalam versions, were released on 21 June and 1 July respectively.[55][56]
The film was released on 10 July 2015 in 4,000 screens worldwide in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam languages. A record number of 1600 screens in Telugu, 1500 screens in Hindi, 350 in Tamil and 225 screens in Malayalam were booked for the release.[57] The film was released in the USA a day earlier by BlueSky Cinemas in 135 screens.[58] A premier show was also held on 9 July at Prasads IMAXHyderabad. The film's release in Kerala was hindered by the shutdown of a number of theatres due to the piracy issue of the Malayalm filmPremam[59] and released in only a few theatres. The international version of the film (20 minutes shorter than the original one) was screened atBusan International Film Festival.[60] Producers announced plans to release the film in China in November 2015 by E Stars Films.[61] The producer,Shobu Yarlagadda, revealed his plans to release the movie in Latin America, Germany and European countries.[62] Arka International made arrangements to release the movie in Germany and 70 other territories.[63]
As the sequelBaahubali 2: The Conclusion was released on 28 April 2017, the producers and distributors re-released the first part (Hindi) on 7 April 2017.[64] The film was screened at various film festivals likeOpen Cinema Strand ofBusan International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival The Hague,[65]Sitges Film Festival in Spain,[66]Utopiales Film Festival in France,[67]Golden Horse Film Festival inTaipei, Taiwan,[68]Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia,[69]L'Etrange International Film Festival in Paris,[70] Five Flavours Film Festival in Poland,[71]Hawaii International Film Festival inHonolulu,Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival inBelgium,[72][73]Cannes Film Festival in France,[74]Transilvania International Film Festival[75] in Romania,Grand Rex in Paris,[76] Kurja Polt Horror Film Festival, Festival de Lacamo,8th BRICS summit, and the 2016Indian Panorama section of theInternational Film Festival of India, Goa.[77] The international version of the film was released in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste, and some European and Latin American countries.[78]
Baahubali: The Beginning was marketed by a Mumbai-based company named Spice PR owned by Prabhat Choudhary,[79] who coined the catchphrase "Kattappa ne Baahubali ko kyun maara?" ("Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?").[80] Marketing of the film started two years before the shoot by S. S. Rajamouli with the audition campaign on Facebook and YouTube. A number of short promotionalbehind-the-scenes videos were released on ArkaMediaworks YouTube channel and the team unveiled first look posters and videos featuring the film's lead stars on the occasions of their birthdays. The film used anaugmented reality application to play the trailer on smart phones and tablets.[81] The crown used by the character of Baahubali in the film was exhibited at Comic Con, Hyderabad, as a part of the film's promotion. Acosplay event was held in which chosen winners were given a chance to visit the sets of the film.[82] On 22 July 2015,Guinness World Records approved the poster created during the audio launch ofBaahubali inKochi on 1 July 2015 as the world's largest poster.[83] The poster has an area of 4,793.65 m2 (51,598.21 ft2) and it was created by Global United Media Company Pvt Ltd.[84] This record was later broken by a 5,969.61 m2 poster for the filmMSG-2 The Messenger.[85]
Producers announced plans to create a film museum atRamoji Film City in Hyderabad to showcase the weapons, armour, and costumes used by actors in the film. The museum would be the first of its kind for any Indian movie.[86] The film's website hosts merchandise which includes apparel, accessories, and film collectibles.[87]
In early July 2014, for the first part of the film, the region distribution rights for Karnataka andCeded (Rayalaseema) were sold to a distributor[which?] for₹230 million (US$3.59 million).[88] Though he did not confirm the price, Dil Raju said in an interview toDeccan Chronicle that he purchased the first part's Nizam region rights and added that he would acquire the rights of the second part also for this region.[89]
The Telugu version of the film was presented byK. Raghavendra Rao, Tamil version byK.E. Gnanavel Raja,Sri Thenandal Films and UV Creations,Karan Johar presented the Hindi version.[90] MVP Entertainment is set to release[needs update] the movie in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste countries.[91] Sun Distribution acquired the distribution rights of the movie in Latin American countries while Creative Century Entertainment got the rights for Taiwan. In Korea, the movie is scheduled to be released via Entermode Corp.[92]
The Tamil version of the film faced a controversy relating to a word used in the film. On 22 July 2015, activists ofDalit group Puratchi Pulikal Iyakkam hurled petrol bombs outside the 'Tamil, Jaya' multiplex in Madurai screening the Tamil version of the film. The Dalit group Puratchi Pulikal Iyakkam protested against the movie over the inclusion of the word 'pagadai' (gambler). Members of the group claimed the words, used by caste Hindus to address members of theArunthathiyar Dalit sub-caste, are considered derogatory against Dalits. Dialogue writer of Tamil version,Madhan Karky issued an apology for offending Dalits.[93]
Arka Media Works gave the satellite rights toStar Maa and the Malayalam dubbed version was also given the satellite rights toMazhavil Manorama. The Tamil version was given toJaya TV. The Kannada dubbed version was given toColors Kannada. The Hindi dubbed version was given the satellite rights toSony Max. The Odia dubbed version of this movie was given toZee Sarthak. The Bhojpuri dubbed version of the movie was later given toBhojpuri Cinema TV. The Marathi dubbed version of this movie was given toShemaroo Marathibana. The Bengali dubbed version of this movie was given to Enterr10 Bangla.
Netflix acquired the digital rights for streaming all languages of the film.
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 91% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[94]
Deepanjana Pal ofFirstpost called it "Rajamouli's tour de force", terming it as "elaborate, well-choreographed and [having] some breathtaking moments."Prabhas andDaggubati are both in their elements as the warriors who approach warfare in two distinctive styles. The outcome of the battle is no surprise, but there are enough clever tactics and twists to keep the audience hooked. The biggest surprise, however, lies in the film's final shot, which gives you a glimpse into the sequel that will come out next year."[95] Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV India rated the film with three stars out of five and stated, "The spectacular universe that the film conjures up is filled with magic, but the larger-than-life characters that populate its extraordinary expanse do not belong to any known mythic landscape. To that extent,Baahubali, driven by the titular superhero who pulls off mind-boggling feats both in love and in war, throws up many a surprise that isn't altogether meaningless."[96]
Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express praised the film: "Right from its opening frames,Baahubali holds out many promises: of adventure and romance, love and betrayal, valour and weakness. And it delivers magnificently on each of them. This is full-tilt, fully-assured filmmaking of a very high order.Baahubali is simply spectacular."[97] In her review forThe Hindu, Sangeetha Devi Dundoo wrote, "The war formations that form a chunk of the latter portions of the film are the best we've seen in Indian cinema so far. These portions are spectacular and show the technical finesse of the cinematographer (K.K. Senthil Kumar) and the visual effects teams. The waterfall, the mystical forests and water bodies above the cliffs and the lead pair escaping an avalanche all add to the spectacle. Give into its magic, without drawing comparisons to Hollywood flicks."[98]
Sukanya Varma ofRediff gave the film four out of five stars, calling it "mega, ingenious and envelope pushing!"[99] Rachit Gupta ofFilmfare gave the film four stars (out of 5) and summarised, "Baahubali is truly an epic experience. Had the story not been so jaded, this would've gone into the history books as an all-time classic. But that's not the case. It has its set of storytelling flaws, but even those are overshadowed by Rajamouli's ideas and execution. This is definitely worthy of being India's most expensive film. It's a definite movie watching experience."[100]
Suparna Sharma ofDeccan Chronicle praised the second half of the film, writing, "Rajamouli has reserved all the grander and grandstanding for later, after interval. That's when the film stands up and begins to strut like an epic."[101] Suhani Singh ofIndia Today pointed out that the film is best enjoyed keeping logic at bay. She added, "SS Rajamouli and his team put up a fascinating wild, wild east adventure. It takes pluck to conceive a world like the one seen inBaahubali and to pull it off on a level which is on par with the international standards. The almost 45-minute-long battle sequence at the end is not just one of the biggest climaxes, but also the action spectacle rarely seen in Indian cinema. And if Rajamouli can present another one like that in part 2, then he is on course to register his name in cinema's history books. We can't wait to revisit Mahishmati kingdom."[102]
Critical reception penned by Shubha Shetty Saha forMid-Day rates the film with four stars out of five, exclaiming, "While watchingBaahubali, you might have to periodically pick up your jaw off the floor. Because this is not merely a movie, it is an unbelievably thrilling fantasy ride." The review extends praising the aspects, "It is to the director's credit that every aspect of the film – action, mind-boggling set design and choreography – lives up to this epic film of gigantic scale. The choreography in the song that has Shiva disrobing Avantika to get her in touch with her feminine side, is an absolute gem."[103]
Critics praised the film for its direction, technical values, and the actors' performances. Lisa Tsering based onThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The story has been told many times before – a child is born destined for greatness and as a man vanquishes the forces of evil – but in the confident hands of accomplished South Indian director S.S. Rajamouli the tale gets potent new life inBaahubali: The Beginning."[104] Allan Hunter, writing forScreen Daily noted that "The broad brushstrokes storytelling and the director's over-fondness for slow-motion sequences are among the film's failings but this is still a rousing film, easily accessible epic. There's rarely a dull moment inBaahubali: The Beginning, part one of a gung-ho, crowd-pleasing Telugu-language epic that has been shattering box-office records throughout India."[105]
Mike McCahill ofThe Guardian rated the film four stars out of five, praising the film, "Rajamouli defers on the latter for now, but his skilful choreography of these elements shucks off any cynicism one might carry into Screen 1: wide-eyed and wondrous, his film could be a blockbuster reboot, or the first blockbuster ever made, a reinvigoration of archetypes that is always entertaining, and often thrilling, to behold."[106] Suprateek Chatterjee ofThe Huffington Post wrote, "However, all said and done,Baahubali: The Beginning is a remarkable achievement. What Rajamouli has pulled off here, despite its flaws, is nothing short of a miracle, especially when you take into account India's notoriously risk-averse filmmaking environment and when the film ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger (paving the way forBaahubali: The Conclusion, due to release next year), one can't help but applaud his singularly brave vision. As the cliché goes, a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step, but it doesn't really matter if that first step is shaky as long as it lands firmly and confidently."[107]
Baahubali: The Beginning collected₹15 crore (US$2.34 million) from the United States on its first day.[108] First weekend collections stood around₹165.1 crore (US$25.74 million) worldwide from all its versions, thebiggest ever for an Indian film in India & thefourth biggest ever for an Indian film worldwide.[109] The film grossed around₹263 crore (US$41 million) worldwide in the first week of its release.[110] It became the first South Indian film to gross₹300 crore (US$46.76 million) worldwide, reaching there in 9 days, and[111] subsequently grossed₹391.2 crore (US$60.98 million) worldwide in 15 days.[112]Baahubali: The Beginning netted₹420.05 crore in India.[113]Firstpost later reported that the total collections stood at ₹650 crore as of August 2017[update].[7]Baahubali: The Beginning grossed₹511.35 crore (US$79.71 million) in all languages in India alone,[114][115] and became thehighest-grossing film in India, surpassingPK's gross of₹440 crore (US$68.59 million) from India.[116][117] By the end of its 87-day run,Bahubali collected 586.45 crore (US$79 million) worldwide in its initial theatrical run.
The Beginning opened to 100 percent occupancy in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and close to 70 percent occupancy in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It grossed around₹50 crore (US$7.79 million) on its first day of release in India from all four versions (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi).[118] The Hindi version earned around₹5.15 crore (US$802,782.15) nett which was the highest opening for any film dubbed into Hindi.[119]Baahubali grossed₹50 crore (US$7.79 million) on the first day in India.[120] The Hindi version grossed around₹24 crore (US$3.74 million) nett in the first weekend.[121]
The Telugu version alone earned around₹66.5 crore (US$10.37 million) nett in first weekend in India. The film, from all its versions, earned almost₹105.7 crore (US$16.48 million) nett in its first weekend. It had the biggest opening weekend ever in India.[121] The Hindi version collected around₹48 crore (US$7.48 million) nett in its first week.[122]Baahubali: The Beginning grossed more than₹185.3 crore (US$28.88 million) nett from all its versions in India in the first week. It added a further₹47.8 crore (US$7.45 million) nett in its second weekend to take its total to around₹233.1 crore (US$36.34 million) nett in ten days.[123] The Hindi version grossed over₹39.5 crore (US$6.16 million) nett in the Mumbai circuit.[124]
The film collected around₹20 crore (US$3.12 million) in its first day from the international markets.[125] The film opened on the ninth spot for its weekend, collecting around US$3.5 million with a per-screen average of $15,148.[126] The film debuted in the ninth position for the US and Canadian box office collecting $4,630,000 for three days and $3,250,000 for the weekend of 10–12 July 2015.[127]Baahubali: The Beginning grossed £66,659 from its Telugu version in United Kingdom and Ireland and A$194,405 from its Tamil version in Australia in until its second weekend (17 – 19 July 2015). The film also grossed MYR 663,869 in Malaysia from its Tamil version.[128] The film grossedUS$540,000 on its opening weekend in China.[129] It has grossed a total of CN¥7.49 million(₹77.8 million) in the country.[130] The film totally earned $10.94 million at the overseas box office.[131]
At the63rd National Film Awards,Baahubali: The Beginning won theBest Feature Film, becoming the first Telugu film to win the award, andBest Special Effects.[132] At the63rd Filmfare Awards South, the Telugu version won five awards from ten nominations, includingBest Film,Best Director for Rajamouli andBest Supporting Actress for Ramya Krishna respectively. Both the Tamil and Telugu versions won several awards in their respective categories, including Best Film, Best Director for Rajamouli, and Best Supporting Actress for Ramya Krishna at the1st IIFA Utsavam.Baahubali: The Beginning became the first Indian film to be nominated forSaturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the42nd ceremony, includingBest Fantasy Film andBest Supporting Actress for Tamannaah Bhatia.
Baahubali: The Beginning is one of the films featured inBBC's documentary on 100 Years of Indian Cinema directed bySanjeev Bhaskar.[133] Post the success of the film, a film movement was started, i.e.Pan-Indian films.[134]
In 2016,Thagubothu Ramesh plays a character named Kattappa inSelfie Raja.[135] In 2017,Kattappava Kanom (transl. Kattappa is missing), which was named after the character of Kattappa from the film, was released.[136] In 2018, Netflix announced that they had ordered astreaming television prequel series calledBaahubali: Before the Beginning.[137][138][139]Sathyaraj is referred to as Kattappa in a scene fromKanaa (2018).[140]
Baahubali: The Beginning, which hit the screens in 2015, did not yield any initial profits for the makers. It is, however, regarded as a success as it collected Rs 600 crore at the box office.
But now a Telugu-language battle epic from southern India's rival "Tollywood" has broken the country's box office records and shaken Mumbai's traditional big screen dominance.
But now a Telugu-language battle epic from southern India's rival "Tollywood" has broken the country's box office records and shaken Mumbai's traditional big screen dominance.
With the success of Baahubali, it is clear that the Telugu movie industry has well and truly evolved, cutting the umbilical cord from Madras and becoming the leading commercial powerhouse for South Indian cinema.
But now a Telugu-language battle epic from southern India's rival "Tollywood" has broken the country's box office records and shaken Mumbai's traditional big screen dominance.
Many, many films, including Baahubali [...] have been following a worrying formula: Cast an actor each from across regions to appeal to the respective audiences, get them speaking that language, but by and large, shoot the film with the characters speaking one dominant language. In the case of Baahubali of course, this was Telugu
Yes, close shots were shot twice. Once in Telugu and then in Tamil.
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