WEBVTT 00:37.333 --> 00:38.250 Action! 00:43.666 --> 00:44.583 Cut it. 00:44.875 --> 00:45.750 Cut, cut. 00:51.541 --> 00:55.250 Rajamouli sir said, "We're going on set tomorrow." 00:55.375 --> 00:58.000 My first challenge was performing with Ramya Krishnan ma'am. 00:58.083 --> 01:01.458 -She's such an amazing-- -Oh, that was your first day of shooting? 01:01.541 --> 01:02.416 My shoot. 01:02.500 --> 01:04.083 She's such an amazing artist. 01:04.166 --> 01:06.750 -And I was so scared. -It was a challenge. 01:07.125 --> 01:09.708 But the moment I stepped onto the set, my mind went completely blank. 01:09.791 --> 01:12.750 -That leg you see behind the throne… -Yeah. 01:12.833 --> 01:14.458 -It was huge. -It was huge. 01:14.541 --> 01:18.500 And until that morning, Ramya Krishnan ma'am had been my biggest fear. 01:18.583 --> 01:20.958 I kept wondering how I was going to match her performance 01:21.041 --> 01:22.000 -and all that. -Yeah. 01:22.083 --> 01:23.208 But the moment I saw the set, 01:23.291 --> 01:25.083 -I had a completely different problem. -Yeah. 01:25.166 --> 01:27.250 -I was just stunned. I mean, what to do? -Yeah. 01:27.333 --> 01:30.125 The set was only partially built when we filmed those scenes. 01:30.458 --> 01:36.750 But when I saw it in the theater, I was blown away by the scale of it. 01:37.625 --> 01:41.333 It was an experience I can't really put into words. 01:42.583 --> 01:44.708 The set we shot on 01:44.791 --> 01:48.875 and what ended up on screen felt like two completely different worlds. 01:49.125 --> 01:50.166 If you look at this stone, 01:50.375 --> 01:53.041 it's actually made of fiber that's designed to look real. 01:53.125 --> 01:55.541 I'm trying to make it feel as authentic as possible. 01:55.625 --> 01:58.416 So, those things were very unique. 01:58.500 --> 02:03.666 I've done a lot of films, but I'd never seen a set like this before, 02:03.750 --> 02:08.583 where we cared about how something actually felt, not just how it looked. 02:08.666 --> 02:14.583 Sabu sir made sure there was work done wherever we set foot. 02:14.666 --> 02:19.250 He would place some kind of foam where we had to walk and land. 02:19.333 --> 02:20.416 One! Go! 02:21.875 --> 02:22.791 Nice! 02:22.875 --> 02:27.416 The usual set has lights, cranes, tracks, and trolleys. 02:27.791 --> 02:33.166 But this set had bulldozers and big cranes moving boulders. 02:33.416 --> 02:35.875 The atmosphere looked like we were building a dam. 02:35.958 --> 02:39.041 The costumes took up almost quarter of a kilometer. 02:39.208 --> 02:42.750 The Kalakeya troop's costumes would go on for miles. 02:43.000 --> 02:46.333 We had 20-30 people dedicated to dressing them up. 02:46.416 --> 02:50.916 The Kalakeya costumes were painted black, so were they. 02:51.125 --> 02:53.416 Around 100 people were working on the costumes. 02:53.666 --> 02:58.583 Baahubali was like the biggest factory in every department. 02:58.750 --> 03:03.375 Having seen filmmakers who make a big deal out of nothing, 03:03.458 --> 03:06.625 it's shocking to see the Baahubali team being humble as ever, 03:06.708 --> 03:10.166 even after making the biggest film in India. 03:10.291 --> 03:15.291 The way Shobu sir was spending money, Prabhas and I used to joke, 03:15.375 --> 03:16.500 "Look at him, sir… 03:16.791 --> 03:17.916 sitting there relaxed, 03:18.000 --> 03:22.125 without a bit of tension like it's someone else's shoot." 03:22.208 --> 03:24.000 The scale of the production was so much… 03:24.333 --> 03:25.250 That time we-- 03:25.333 --> 03:28.625 I still remember there was this AD from Bombay. 03:28.708 --> 03:33.291 He was there for a month or two, and he was not able to handle it. 03:33.375 --> 03:37.250 So we had to bring in a typical co-director. 03:37.333 --> 03:42.541 The scheduling was becoming too complex for anyone to deal with. 03:42.625 --> 03:45.041 Why is this looking like a mess? 03:45.125 --> 03:47.708 It is so confusing, sir. 03:47.833 --> 03:52.208 Then we did a script breakdown and tried a scheduling software. 03:52.291 --> 03:58.291 Even that was too new and people were not comfortable working with it. 03:58.541 --> 04:02.916 So finally, I became the first AD for Rajamouli. 04:03.208 --> 04:04.333 August second half is assigned for the introduction 04:04.416 --> 04:05.833 of Baahubali's and Bhallaladeva's introductions. 04:06.000 --> 04:10.333 We would need all the artists for the same for 2 days. 04:10.875 --> 04:14.500 For the first time, a Producer wasn't just putting in the money… 04:14.916 --> 04:18.958 or barely checking on us, having a coffee or tea on the set. 04:19.083 --> 04:22.958 He equally shed his blood and sweat for this film. 04:23.166 --> 04:29.458 Valli and Karthikeya and the production team would take over from there. 04:29.708 --> 04:32.166 It was their job to execute the plan. 04:32.250 --> 04:36.291 Every day was a battle on the sets of Baahubali. A battle against time. 04:36.625 --> 04:42.666 So much was being spent per day with such a big crew and junior artists. 04:43.000 --> 04:45.625 Each second was very valuable. 04:45.708 --> 04:49.250 Starting at 5:30 AM, everyone was always on the run. 04:50.000 --> 04:51.166 Let's go, let's go! 04:58.291 --> 05:01.458 It was like a mini battle that was going on every day. 05:01.791 --> 05:02.708 Action! 05:12.291 --> 05:13.208 Action! 05:19.000 --> 05:20.000 Come on! 05:20.083 --> 05:22.958 -Keep going! -Don't stop there. 05:23.166 --> 05:26.750 One of the important sequences which was… 05:26.833 --> 05:29.250 very challenging to shoot was the waterfall sequence. 05:30.333 --> 05:32.333 We shot it in multiple locations. 05:32.416 --> 05:35.750 We shot at a real waterfall in Atharapalli, 05:36.291 --> 05:40.166 and also had small sets erected in Ramoji Film City. 05:40.250 --> 05:43.500 That was the most difficult scene for me. 05:43.625 --> 05:49.708 Valli and Rama would play out the scene beforehand to make sure it was safe. 05:49.958 --> 05:56.083 It was a dicey situation, despite taking all safety measures. 05:56.166 --> 06:01.375 They would let me do the scene only after they've assessed the risk. 06:01.458 --> 06:03.833 I haven't seen such concern on any other set. 06:09.791 --> 06:11.791 Three, two, one! 06:12.083 --> 06:13.000 Charge! 06:14.083 --> 06:18.458 I think the most unique song in my career would always be Dheevara. 06:18.833 --> 06:23.958 In fact, the introduction shot in which the butterflies fly away… 06:24.541 --> 06:30.625 took us almost 2 days to nail it to perfection. 06:37.083 --> 06:39.125 One, two, three! 06:45.083 --> 06:45.958 Cut! 06:47.083 --> 06:48.125 Cut it! 06:48.208 --> 06:53.166 Senthil, Sabu Cyril, and Keeravani didn't want to give their personal best. 06:53.250 --> 06:56.708 They wanted to give what the film wants. 06:57.166 --> 06:58.416 Baahubali is a war. 06:58.916 --> 07:02.583 It's not just a film about war. 07:03.041 --> 07:05.250 The film itself was a war. 07:05.416 --> 07:08.916 Let's establish the war prep along with this. 07:09.000 --> 07:12.250 -Got it. -It's going to take so much time. 07:12.333 --> 07:14.750 It was a war. The shoot was a war. 07:15.166 --> 07:16.333 Designing was a war. 07:16.583 --> 07:17.875 Detailing was a war. 07:18.291 --> 07:21.750 Building the chariot was a war. 07:21.833 --> 07:26.875 It was war time for the people on sets, not just the audience to watch. 07:26.958 --> 07:28.833 The war was so tiring, 07:28.916 --> 07:31.750 It was shot in April or May. 07:31.833 --> 07:35.166 We couldn't stop the shoot as the stakes were high. 07:35.250 --> 07:41.833 The entire army was dressed heavily and painted black. 07:42.416 --> 07:46.416 Just getting onto the war field and running amidst all the dust. 07:46.875 --> 07:50.291 Just the scale of shooting was so overwhelming. 07:50.750 --> 07:52.333 And, action! 07:56.458 --> 07:57.333 Cut! 07:57.416 --> 08:01.583 I feel that what they achieved as a team, 08:01.666 --> 08:03.750 what Rajamouli visualized as a director was magnificent. 08:04.166 --> 08:07.750 The action part, the war, was best. 08:08.833 --> 08:14.791 He'd tell me that he wants to do it better than what anyone has done so far. 08:15.458 --> 08:17.791 By 7:30 a.m., 08:17.916 --> 08:22.916 we used to have 500-600 people completely dressed up, 08:23.000 --> 08:25.083 having breakfast, and ready to shoot. 08:25.166 --> 08:26.250 -There's no point… -Wow! 08:26.333 --> 08:29.916 So once we finish a shot on one side and shift to the other, 08:30.125 --> 08:33.208 all the 2,000 extras have to be shifted to the other side. 08:33.291 --> 08:38.083 Everyone was properly organized and trained. 08:40.125 --> 08:41.083 Take! 08:49.166 --> 08:53.500 We had to bring them on time and take all the necessary shots. 08:53.625 --> 08:56.958 Get unready and prepare all that stuff for the next day. 08:57.041 --> 09:00.833 It isn't just about handling a huge number of people. 09:00.916 --> 09:07.916 It's also about how cleverly you can make it look like more people. 09:08.000 --> 09:11.750 And that obviously needs a lot of support from the director, which we always had. 09:14.500 --> 09:16.500 The way he designed it was incredible. 09:16.750 --> 09:20.458 I think only Rajamouli can do that. Because there were so many characters. 09:20.666 --> 09:23.333 He couldn't miss the drama or the grand visuals. 09:23.416 --> 09:25.000 And he still had to manage everyone and shoot. 09:33.583 --> 09:39.250 I never would have gained the experience of running a production on that scale 09:39.333 --> 09:44.041 if I hadn't worked on a film like Baahubali. 09:44.166 --> 09:48.666 We spent two and a half months filming just the war sequence. 09:49.083 --> 09:51.000 After a hundred days, you really get tired. 09:51.083 --> 09:54.041 We were shooting from seven in the morning until six in the evening. 09:54.375 --> 09:57.250 At least we had fans and air conditioning. 09:57.375 --> 09:59.125 But there were 300 people on set. 09:59.916 --> 10:04.250 They didn't have the luxury of finding a shady spot to rest. 10:04.583 --> 10:06.541 They would just lie down in the sun. 10:06.708 --> 10:09.416 We felt bad waking them up. 10:09.750 --> 10:12.666 The line producer, Valli ma'am, 10:13.083 --> 10:16.958 would ask me to show up in my armor 10:17.458 --> 10:21.000 so they'd feel motivated and get back on their feet. 10:21.291 --> 10:26.750 They would just wake up out of respect for me. 10:26.833 --> 10:30.750 When I met Valli, she seemed very timid, a typical housewife. 10:30.833 --> 10:33.833 You can't imagine her handling thousands of people. 10:33.916 --> 10:38.375 On set, she almost became a commander. 10:38.458 --> 10:40.083 She would hold a stick and say, 10:40.500 --> 10:43.583 "Hey, stand in line." 10:43.666 --> 10:46.083 "Yes, madam." 10:46.375 --> 10:51.041 So, 200-300 people were saying, "Okay, madam." 10:51.291 --> 10:53.916 "Madam, that guy is not standing in line." 10:55.708 --> 10:56.708 That's the scene. 10:56.791 --> 11:03.208 When I saw it, it was the most comical scene you can ever seen. 11:03.833 --> 11:07.208 Baahubali couldn't have been such a great epic… 11:07.416 --> 11:12.666 without the women behind it. Valli, Rama, and Prashanthi. 11:12.833 --> 11:16.750 They were the strong women force behind the screen. 11:33.166 --> 11:39.416 We had brought in many bodybuilders for the war sequence. 11:39.500 --> 11:43.166 We would train them 11:43.375 --> 11:46.625 and make them fight intensely in the scene. 11:46.708 --> 11:50.833 There's a shot where a 100X100 feet cloth falls on people. 11:56.416 --> 12:00.416 We composed the fireball scene in part 1. 12:00.791 --> 12:03.541 I don't know if it was God's grace or luck. 12:03.666 --> 12:07.083 We got the shot in the first take. 12:07.208 --> 12:08.625 I was so happy. 12:09.166 --> 12:12.000 The cloth was tied with many ropes. 12:12.083 --> 12:16.041 It knocked all of them down very quickly. 12:32.416 --> 12:33.833 Many people got injured. 12:33.916 --> 12:38.916 I remember a man breaking his arm. 12:39.458 --> 12:41.500 He broke his hand. 12:43.916 --> 12:45.791 Don't touch his leg. 12:46.041 --> 12:51.000 He walked up to the Line Producer and said, 12:51.291 --> 12:53.541 "I'll quickly go and get it plastered. 12:53.625 --> 12:56.458 He will take my place for the meantime." 12:56.916 --> 13:01.750 He got up on his feet and told us how to execute the shot without him. 13:01.833 --> 13:06.833 He immediately rushed to the hospital. 13:07.375 --> 13:11.125 That level of commitment from a bodybuilder… 13:11.208 --> 13:15.791 who is not even seen in the film, was shocking. 13:16.333 --> 13:19.791 The way they worked to appear at 13:20.375 --> 13:25.208 least in a single shot was commendable. 13:25.916 --> 13:30.041 Hats off to all of them, especially those who weren't seen. 13:47.500 --> 13:49.291 -Out, out, out! -Rolling! 13:49.625 --> 13:51.541 Stop, stop! Don't go! 13:53.291 --> 13:55.000 Music! 13:58.583 --> 14:01.791 We were able to make Baahubali, 14:02.625 --> 14:05.541 only because so many of them committed to the vision. 14:05.958 --> 14:09.291 That is why I never believed 14:09.375 --> 14:13.375 the film belonged just to me. 14:13.458 --> 14:17.708 I constantly remember that a lot of people contributed to this. 14:17.791 --> 14:19.583 I think… Yeah. 14:20.208 --> 14:24.458 On a personal note, Baahubali made me humbler. 14:35.291 --> 14:39.833 If we had known beforehand that 14:40.291 --> 14:42.958 both the parts would need 400 crores, 14:43.125 --> 14:45.166 Baahubali would've never been made. 14:45.583 --> 14:47.875 No doubt about it. 14:48.041 --> 14:51.875 For most films, we have a budget and work towards that budget. 14:52.458 --> 14:56.166 In this case, we did not have a budget in mind. 14:56.250 --> 14:59.208 We would think of what would be the best possible cost… 14:59.291 --> 15:02.208 without compromising on the director's vision. 15:02.458 --> 15:04.375 And whatever it took, we were putting in. 15:04.458 --> 15:07.666 I remember when we just finished the conclusion part, 15:07.750 --> 15:10.875 we had the climax pre-vis ready with us. 15:10.958 --> 15:15.083 We were discussing about the climax, when Shobu had thrown a date at us. 15:15.166 --> 15:17.208 He said, "Kamal, we're going to release our film on this date." 15:17.291 --> 15:18.875 So I started shouting, 15:18.958 --> 15:20.458 "How is it possible? The pre-vis has just come." 15:20.541 --> 15:22.416 "We haven't started shooting the climax yet." 15:22.750 --> 15:24.708 "And you're speaking about the release date." 15:24.875 --> 15:27.500 Shobu being Shobu, was very persistent. 15:27.958 --> 15:31.375 He said, "You can tell me anything, but I want to release the film on this date". 15:31.458 --> 15:32.708 Then I asked him, 15:32.875 --> 15:36.625 "You give me this figure for this particular scene, I will finish it." 15:36.708 --> 15:41.208 Everybody was shocked about the figure, the money I asked. 15:41.291 --> 15:46.208 He thought for five seconds and said, "Okay, sanctioned!" 15:46.458 --> 15:51.458 Having a good producer who is on the same wavelength as the director… 15:51.541 --> 15:55.833 and all the other creatives 15:55.916 --> 16:00.625 within the entire crew is a beautiful thing. 16:00.791 --> 16:04.791 Raising funds for this magnum opus was crazy. 16:04.875 --> 16:06.583 The amount was unheard of. 16:06.875 --> 16:11.833 I think the most expensive film in Telugu cinema till then was Magadheera, 16:11.916 --> 16:17.000 Now we were talking about raising almost five times of the budget of that film. 16:17.083 --> 16:19.208 It was very stressful and… 16:19.291 --> 16:21.166 during the war sequence, especially… 16:21.250 --> 16:27.333 We had junior artists, bodybuilders and fighters in thousands. 16:27.416 --> 16:28.375 It was massive. 16:28.458 --> 16:34.166 After a few days, the per day cost came up to 25 lakhs (or more). 16:34.250 --> 16:37.750 Our four days of war sequence could fund a small film, 16:38.041 --> 16:41.375 about 12 years back. 16:41.458 --> 16:43.958 We were rolling out one crore every four days. 16:44.250 --> 16:45.625 It was a massive number. 16:46.041 --> 16:50.250 Whenever I asked Shobu sir if this budget was doable, 16:50.375 --> 16:51.541 he would laugh it off. 16:51.875 --> 16:54.875 I don't know how he could laugh at this. 16:55.125 --> 16:57.375 It was a nightmare trying to raise money. 16:57.750 --> 16:58.916 Literally, I remember… 16:59.000 --> 17:02.250 Sometimes the shoot would be in two days, 17:02.416 --> 17:04.666 and we still wouldn't have money ready. 17:04.833 --> 17:07.958 We were always running around trying to raise money. 17:08.416 --> 17:11.375 We have our typical financiers, 17:11.625 --> 17:14.916 Mr. Satrange and Mr. Prasad, whose son had supported us. 17:15.291 --> 17:16.708 We started off with them. 17:17.041 --> 17:21.583 We realized midway that there's not enough money in the market… 17:21.791 --> 17:22.750 to support this project. 17:22.833 --> 17:24.541 Even the banks weren't lending money. 17:24.625 --> 17:29.875 The budget kept piling up as the shoot went on. 17:29.958 --> 17:33.250 At one point, I had asked Shobu, 17:34.333 --> 17:36.583 "Don't you think things are going out of hand?" 17:36.666 --> 17:38.250 Shobu only told me one thing… 17:38.333 --> 17:40.291 "Brother, they are doing their best. 17:40.375 --> 17:42.291 There is no wastage of money, 17:42.375 --> 17:44.750 and whatever we're spending on is going to show on screen. 17:44.833 --> 17:48.541 There's no point in going and saying, 'What else can we do?' 17:48.958 --> 17:52.791 It will only spoil the rhythm of the film set. 17:53.125 --> 17:56.208 Let's go through with this and see what happens." 17:56.458 --> 18:00.708 That was enough for me as a partner. 18:00.791 --> 18:02.375 I didn't ask for that meeting again. 18:02.500 --> 18:03.583 And I'm glad I didn't. 18:03.666 --> 18:07.583 I didn't want to be the person who would question this bunch of people… 18:07.666 --> 18:09.916 who were working so hard every day. 18:10.000 --> 18:11.583 So I just took a step back and told Shobu… 18:11.666 --> 18:16.833 "Let's just do it. I will support you." 18:16.916 --> 18:19.208 One of the key components… 18:19.750 --> 18:22.833 in making the world of Baahubali believable was Ramoji Film City. 18:22.916 --> 18:27.791 There's a hill called Telangana Konda, 18:27.916 --> 18:30.291 from where you can see RFC in its entirety. 18:30.750 --> 18:35.791 From there, we could see our set spread across ten acres, 18:35.875 --> 18:39.750 along with the 15-acre war field set 18:39.916 --> 18:42.625 and another 25 acres for a different war set. 18:42.708 --> 18:46.833 The art department sheds covered another ten acres. 18:46.916 --> 18:53.000 In total, we occupied 100 acres of Ramoji Film City. 18:53.083 --> 18:57.041 I would like to thank Mr. Ramoji Rao of Ramoji Film City 18:57.125 --> 18:59.833 and Mr. Bapineedu from ETV. 19:00.250 --> 19:05.083 They stood by us like pillars of support. Since we were shooting extensively 19:05.458 --> 19:07.541 at Ramoji Film City, they extended us a great deal of credit. 19:07.833 --> 19:12.250 They also lent us money at a good interest rate. 19:12.541 --> 19:14.333 Without these people… 19:14.416 --> 19:17.000 I don't think we could have made this film anywhere else. 19:17.208 --> 19:19.041 Once the shoot was over, 19:19.125 --> 19:21.041 the thought of tearing down the entire set… 19:22.458 --> 19:25.250 felt like a knife through my heart. 19:25.583 --> 19:27.500 We had spent years shooting there. 19:27.583 --> 19:29.625 There were so many memories attached to it. 19:30.083 --> 19:34.291 But eventually, we spoke with the RFC team 19:34.666 --> 19:38.166 and decided to turn it into a visitor attraction. 19:38.541 --> 19:40.708 Universal Studios has several old sets 19:40.833 --> 19:42.875 that visitors can walk through and experience. 19:43.250 --> 19:46.791 We wanted the public here to have a similar experience. 19:47.541 --> 19:50.041 Now it's been ten years since the release. 19:50.708 --> 19:54.666 Today, the major attraction of Ramoji Film City is the Baahubali set. 19:54.958 --> 19:56.250 Every day on average, 19:56.333 --> 19:58.500 3,000 people come to visit that set. 19:58.916 --> 20:00.958 Which means Baahubali lives on. 20:01.041 --> 20:04.916 It continues to live in people's minds and hearts. 20:05.166 --> 20:06.791 The Maahishmathi set is one key example, 20:07.208 --> 20:12.708 which is still standing in Ramoji Film City. 20:39.666 --> 20:41.708 While Baahubali as a film shines on its own, 20:41.791 --> 20:45.125 to promote that, there is something 20:45.708 --> 20:49.541 astounding happening in the south of India. 20:49.625 --> 20:53.041 Something that one wouldn't want to miss in this lifetime. 20:53.125 --> 20:56.791 Creating that interest was a whole different game. 20:57.041 --> 20:59.333 Then came the idea of "Behind the Scenes". 20:59.833 --> 21:02.958 Even the BTS footage of Baahubali is huge in scale. 21:03.041 --> 21:04.000 Action! 21:17.708 --> 21:19.500 Trained under the masterful Kattappa, 21:20.041 --> 21:22.041 aided by a formidable army. 21:22.791 --> 21:25.125 The Maharaja summons with grace! 21:25.208 --> 21:26.250 Cut! 21:28.541 --> 21:30.541 One, two, three, four. 21:36.791 --> 21:39.333 We started with birthday wishes… 21:39.416 --> 21:43.208 and went on to show everyone's efforts 21:43.291 --> 21:47.416 through behind the scenes. 21:47.583 --> 21:48.750 A first of its kind. 21:49.250 --> 21:52.083 It piqued massive interest in the public. 21:52.375 --> 21:54.916 It was some magic in the making, for sure! 21:55.375 --> 21:56.291 Action! 22:04.166 --> 22:08.041 Rajamouli sir used to enact each shot for us. 22:08.125 --> 22:12.083 Rajamouli sir picked up the sword and flipped it in the air. 22:14.708 --> 22:16.458 This is the worst part for actors. 22:16.916 --> 22:19.125 When the director enacts it in front of thousand people, 22:19.208 --> 22:20.291 how will you live up to it? 22:20.458 --> 22:23.583 It's very embarrassing when the director does it, 22:23.666 --> 22:25.500 and the actor is still struggling to do it. 22:25.583 --> 22:30.375 Thankfully, people didn't watch the initial making of Baahubali. 22:30.458 --> 22:32.333 It's a big comedy goof-up. 22:32.416 --> 22:35.500 Like a ridiculous comedy film. 22:35.583 --> 22:38.000 We would be up to some nonsense in every shot. 22:38.333 --> 22:41.000 Hi, this is Anushka, playing the role of Devasena. 22:41.083 --> 22:42.625 Welcome to the making of Baahubali. 22:59.041 --> 23:03.375 He sits in an AC room and writes, "Baahubali jumps off a hill." 23:03.625 --> 23:05.375 And I'm supposed to jump. 23:05.875 --> 23:08.333 He looks damn bored. 23:10.625 --> 23:13.250 You did look bored, man. You were sitting somewhere far away. 23:13.333 --> 23:17.375 I would look at you guys and feel left out. 23:18.000 --> 23:18.875 So, yeah. 23:20.333 --> 23:22.083 You wanted to sit on the throne, right? Have fun! 23:26.250 --> 23:28.916 He can't stand us laughing for a second. He pulled the sword away. 23:29.958 --> 23:31.541 Did you see that? 23:31.625 --> 23:33.875 I've never seen a man like him in my life. 23:34.416 --> 23:35.333 I don't think I ever will. 23:35.583 --> 23:38.291 He's not human. He's a strange species. 23:42.833 --> 23:44.250 Is that you trying to hold your laugh? 23:44.333 --> 23:46.041 Yeah, my laugh gets uncontrollable sometimes. 23:46.125 --> 23:48.875 -Trust me, he knows. -I try to control my laugh. 23:49.250 --> 23:53.791 Producer's worried about budget only when Sweetie starts laughing. 23:53.875 --> 23:56.500 Because once she starts laughing, 23:56.583 --> 23:58.083 it takes easily about 40 minutes to calm down. 23:59.875 --> 24:03.833 Producer's heart must be thumping as you start laughing. 24:04.208 --> 24:05.666 -These were the initial days of shoot. -First day… 24:05.750 --> 24:06.916 -First video. -At that time… 24:07.000 --> 24:11.416 You were worried about wasting the Producer's money, weren't you? 24:15.500 --> 24:17.041 You were doing it with rhythm. 24:18.458 --> 24:22.125 I guess I was scared that he'd go for one more take. 24:22.250 --> 24:23.625 This is very cute. 24:23.708 --> 24:25.250 What all this table has heard. 24:25.333 --> 24:28.000 If this table had ears and a mouth, 24:29.083 --> 24:31.416 -we were chatting… -I kept talking, nonstop. 24:31.958 --> 24:33.375 throughout the film shoot. 24:34.000 --> 24:35.958 Devasena, I summon thee. 24:36.583 --> 24:38.041 Alright, time to go! 24:38.875 --> 24:41.416 -I'm ready. -Then move it. Let him sit. 24:41.500 --> 24:43.750 -Oh, he has to take the throne now? -Yes, no problem. 24:44.416 --> 24:47.208 Ramya ma'am has got a very strange laugh. 25:04.250 --> 25:06.916 So, we had fun. That actually helped us. 25:07.125 --> 25:11.916 We all made fun to keep ourselves very relaxed. 25:12.041 --> 25:13.041 That's what I see. 25:13.125 --> 25:16.125 When my statue is raised for the first time, 25:16.250 --> 25:17.875 everyone shouts Baahubali, Baahubali! 25:17.958 --> 25:21.125 You lift the statue up and the public joins you. 25:21.458 --> 25:25.125 He narrated that scene to me for 10 minutes. 25:25.458 --> 25:28.250 I'd say, "Oh, Baahubali is lifting my statue!" and walk away. 25:28.333 --> 25:32.708 What happened in the film and what I believe are two different stories. 25:32.791 --> 25:36.041 That happens to me even now. I have a completely different version of the story. 25:36.458 --> 25:38.208 If you ask me, I'd narrate it differently. 25:38.541 --> 25:39.458 Only Rana 25:39.541 --> 25:41.375 -would see it from his point of view. -Only! 25:41.458 --> 25:42.333 Only I had… 25:42.416 --> 25:47.250 Even when it's a shot on Devasena, he'd say he's caused it. 25:48.041 --> 25:51.500 According to him, Baahubali is desperate for his throne. 25:51.916 --> 25:55.125 Rajamouli is planning the whole thing for Bhallaladeva. 25:55.500 --> 25:58.916 And Shivagami is fighting to fulfill his wishes. 25:59.291 --> 26:01.208 How can everyone be existing for you? 26:01.666 --> 26:06.916 I later realized that I am the reason for the whole story. 26:07.458 --> 26:08.625 I am Baahubali. 26:09.166 --> 26:10.458 I am Baahubali. 26:10.583 --> 26:15.083 If this character didn't exist, Baahubali wouldn't have existed. 26:15.500 --> 26:20.208 Because I had one crippled hand, 26:20.500 --> 26:22.625 because I was not given the throne, 26:22.708 --> 26:27.000 because of that the core drama of Baahubali ensues. 26:27.083 --> 26:29.875 It is with that energy that I shot the entire film. 26:30.541 --> 26:32.541 Baahubali grew on us. 26:32.625 --> 26:35.541 We set out every day, towards a door… 26:35.625 --> 26:38.125 that would open up to the world of Baahubali. 26:38.208 --> 26:40.333 Once we opened that door, a bigger one appeared. 26:40.416 --> 26:42.666 We soon realized that we had to open ten more doors… 26:42.750 --> 26:45.791 to achieve this feat called Baahubali. 26:45.875 --> 26:52.833 We couldn't depend on Telugu States alone to get our returns on this film. 26:52.916 --> 26:57.666 We knew the audience from other states would love it. 26:57.750 --> 27:00.291 But it wasn't a case of wishful thinking. 27:00.375 --> 27:03.958 We were banking on it a 100% 27:04.041 --> 27:07.750 to make sure this movie is profitable. 27:07.833 --> 27:11.333 That was when we took a serious approach. 27:11.416 --> 27:16.666 We felt the need for a strong partner in Hindi 27:16.833 --> 27:20.125 who could platform it and present it like a brand ambassador. 27:20.208 --> 27:23.375 Who would take it personally and with a certain passion. 27:23.458 --> 27:27.750 Not just someone who would treat it like any other cinema. 27:27.833 --> 27:32.000 That's when Karan Johar's name came up. Dharma Productions. 27:32.166 --> 27:36.416 We felt Karan would be out there and be the perfect brand ambassador. 27:36.500 --> 27:42.083 If he likes it, he'll speak about it and present it correctly. 27:42.291 --> 27:44.875 I spoke to him on a phone call the first time. 27:44.958 --> 27:48.958 I wanted to meet, but he was in London at the time. 27:49.041 --> 27:50.458 So I explained why I was calling. 27:50.541 --> 27:52.875 He said, "Rana, are you telling me y'all are making a… 27:52.958 --> 27:54.541 200-crore war film in Telugu?" 27:54.625 --> 27:56.250 I said, "Yeah, that's what we're doing." 27:56.583 --> 27:58.208 He said, "Okay, I don't really understand what you're saying." 27:58.291 --> 27:59.833 "Why don't you come to Bombay and talk to me?" 27:59.916 --> 28:01.916 I said, "Okay." We showed him some stills. 28:02.166 --> 28:03.916 I remember the first line he said. 28:04.208 --> 28:05.583 He said, "Rana, this is what we have to do." 28:05.666 --> 28:08.333 "Are you ready to watch India's biggest motion picture?" 28:08.500 --> 28:11.375 "That should be on every poster and every piece of marketing." 28:11.458 --> 28:14.916 Dharma Studio was presenting the film, 28:15.166 --> 28:18.666 but we still needed someone to distribute it in Hindi. 28:18.750 --> 28:23.583 Anil Thadani heard that we had approached Karan. 28:23.666 --> 28:25.958 He felt he had missed out on releasing Eega, 28:26.125 --> 28:27.583 which was released in Hindi as Makkhi. 28:27.833 --> 28:29.875 He didn't want to make the same mistake again, 28:30.166 --> 28:32.625 so he was very keen to be part of the project. 28:32.708 --> 28:34.458 I met Anil a couple of times, 28:34.541 --> 28:40.875 and we immediately liked his approach. We decided to work with him. 28:41.125 --> 28:42.333 That's how Anil came on board. 28:42.958 --> 28:44.875 What's the release date? 28:44.958 --> 28:49.958 He's been preparing me for four days, and I still forgot. 28:50.458 --> 28:53.583 So after several postponements, we finally settled on a release date. 28:53.666 --> 28:56.291 Exactly one week before the release of Salman Khan's film. 28:56.375 --> 28:58.291 July 10th, exactly one week before Eid. 28:58.541 --> 29:02.833 And in Hindi cinema, the week before Eid is usually considered a dead week. 29:03.041 --> 29:04.125 Nobody releases a film then. 29:04.333 --> 29:07.083 We were trying to convince 29:07.541 --> 29:11.958 ourselves that maybe it's a soft film. 29:12.208 --> 29:15.000 We considered the next week, and Rajamouli said, "Rana, that's a good film." 29:15.291 --> 29:19.875 We asked how he was so confident, and he told us his dad is the writer of it. 29:20.166 --> 29:23.875 It was a very tough spot to actually be releasing… 29:24.041 --> 29:28.166 a film that had no actors from Hindi, 29:28.375 --> 29:32.791 or relatively unknown actors in the Hindi belt. 29:32.875 --> 29:35.000 It was a tough call, but Anil sir said we'll do it. 29:44.833 --> 29:51.208 We worked on Baahubali as if we were possessed or in a trance. 29:51.291 --> 29:54.666 On top of that, we didn't take a break. 29:54.750 --> 30:00.125 We worked so hard, we didn't even stop 30:00.791 --> 30:04.458 to think if we'd make all this money back. 30:05.500 --> 30:12.458 When we got hold of the first copy a couple of days before the release, 30:13.000 --> 30:16.791 that's when it hit us how much the budget was. 30:17.250 --> 30:20.083 The last three days were pure terror. 30:21.708 --> 30:25.166 Even though we believed in the film, it was unheard of. 30:25.875 --> 30:30.291 If we were to surpass the biggest hit till then, 30:30.916 --> 30:35.750 we were going to end up with a loss of a 100 crores. 30:36.041 --> 30:41.916 Today, 200 crores feel doable but back then, 30:42.000 --> 30:44.125 it was too much. 30:44.708 --> 30:48.000 I think we spent around 220 crores. 30:48.791 --> 30:53.458 When the budget had crossed 150-160 crores, 30:53.875 --> 30:59.583 the Producers definitely 31:00.166 --> 31:02.916 took upon the biggest risk. 31:03.083 --> 31:06.375 I don't know how many people would know about it. 31:06.458 --> 31:09.083 But it was a huge risk that we took in making Baahubali. 31:09.375 --> 31:12.083 On the day of the release of part one, 31:12.750 --> 31:15.833 we had a deficit of 70 crores. 31:16.000 --> 31:19.916 What we spent minus what we recovered was 70 crores. 31:20.000 --> 31:21.791 The concept of streaming rights didn't exist. 31:22.000 --> 31:27.333 The main revenue streams were satellite, theatrical and music. 31:27.416 --> 31:33.625 And we hadn't sold the satellite rights by then. 31:33.708 --> 31:36.041 So, there was a deficit of about 70 crores. 31:36.291 --> 31:38.875 Shobu sir and his wife had a discussion at home. 31:38.958 --> 31:44.083 His 8-year-old son asked him, 31:45.375 --> 31:48.666 He asked his mother, Lakshmi "Are we selling the house, mom? 31:48.750 --> 31:50.375 Where are we going to live?" 31:51.083 --> 31:55.625 It was painful to hear all this after 10 years. 31:58.666 --> 32:01.083 Yeah, it was definitely emotional. 32:01.875 --> 32:05.291 All of us went and hugged Shobu sir and Prasad sir. 32:11.541 --> 32:14.250 It's not a joke, what they pulled off. 32:14.666 --> 32:17.541 The Producers pooled in almost a 32:17.875 --> 32:23.125 100 crores from their friends and cousins. 32:23.625 --> 32:26.125 Today, when we look back at it, 32:28.458 --> 32:29.416 it was dangerous, actually. 32:30.291 --> 32:34.541 Even Rajamouli sir had to sign 32:34.625 --> 32:37.375 a lot of money before release. 32:37.791 --> 32:41.375 After all this, the next day morning show was a disaster. 32:41.791 --> 32:46.041 The film opened to rave reviews in Hindi, 32:46.958 --> 32:48.625 as well as the US, 32:48.708 --> 32:54.708 the Gulf and all over the world. 32:54.791 --> 33:00.541 But the majority of money was supposed to come in from Andhra and Telangana. 33:00.625 --> 33:05.291 The reviews here were terrible, to say the least. 33:05.416 --> 33:09.625 An image of Shiva holding a Zandu Balm… 33:09.708 --> 33:13.916 instead of the Shiv Ling was being circulated. 33:14.041 --> 33:17.000 We couldn't process 33:17.083 --> 33:21.083 what went so wrong. 33:21.166 --> 33:23.750 I was completely blank. 33:23.958 --> 33:27.541 I don't know how they survived those 1-2 days. 33:30.458 --> 33:31.416 It was war. 33:34.583 --> 33:35.750 I'm breaking down. 33:40.500 --> 33:45.333 I remember Shobu sir laughing hysterically at everyone. 33:47.041 --> 33:47.958 That was his only response. 33:48.291 --> 33:53.208 We couldn't tell if he understood what was going on. 33:54.625 --> 34:00.166 To be honest, I was in a shell. 34:00.250 --> 34:03.791 All of that actually didn't touch me. 34:03.875 --> 34:06.375 Very little of that information actually came to me. 34:06.458 --> 34:11.875 But I knew that there were whispers of it not doing well. 34:11.958 --> 34:15.208 And then I had my PR calling me and telling me, 34:15.500 --> 34:18.541 "I don't think the reviews are good. We need to do some damage control." 34:19.166 --> 34:23.750 We were discussing what could be done. 34:23.916 --> 34:25.750 I was in Bombay at the time. 34:26.166 --> 34:28.000 I couldn't wrap my head around what they were saying. 34:28.416 --> 34:34.458 The reception that I got after the first industry screening was unmatched. 34:34.708 --> 34:39.625 We had a lot of Bollywood stars come over to Yash Raj. 34:39.708 --> 34:44.458 I had never had an audience like that. They loved everything that they saw. 34:44.541 --> 34:47.375 Prabhas had called me a bunch of times by the time the screening was over. 34:47.958 --> 34:53.291 He asked if certain scenes were decent enough. 34:53.791 --> 34:58.833 I was totally clueless about the atmosphere in Hyderabad. 34:58.958 --> 35:00.958 Did we watch the same film? I wondered. 35:01.333 --> 35:04.208 They said there were mixed reviews, but no. 35:04.416 --> 35:06.041 It was outright negative talk. 35:06.166 --> 35:10.458 We had this experience with his previous films. 35:11.000 --> 35:14.250 Films that were considered average ended up becoming superhits. 35:14.750 --> 35:20.541 So we felt that maybe this film would be a hit too. 35:20.625 --> 35:21.875 But there was also a lot of fear. 35:22.000 --> 35:28.375 We even discussed what we would do if it failed badly. 35:28.541 --> 35:33.083 We didn't have the means to cover those losses. 35:33.291 --> 35:38.166 All we had was a small piece of land in Manikonda that I was planning to sell. 35:38.583 --> 35:41.625 I knew it wouldn't be enough, 35:42.083 --> 35:45.291 but it was the only thing I could do. 35:45.500 --> 35:50.541 I don't think I can ever forget how all of us felt. 35:50.708 --> 35:51.583 It was haunting. 35:51.666 --> 35:56.791 People had already started bashing us on Twitter. 35:57.250 --> 35:58.541 We were on the verge of breaking down. 35:59.041 --> 36:00.375 I was crying, 36:00.458 --> 36:06.250 and as I was heading upstairs to get ready for a show, 36:06.333 --> 36:09.625 I saw Dad walking down the corridor. 36:09.708 --> 36:11.625 I went up to him, hugged him, and burst into tears. 36:12.166 --> 36:14.125 We were all just trying to draw strength from each other. 36:14.250 --> 36:17.041 He went back inside, and I continued walking by myself. 36:19.208 --> 36:21.375 Then our friend Sai, who lives upstairs, came over to me. 36:22.500 --> 36:24.208 He's a distributor. 36:24.416 --> 36:28.083 People usually hesitate to send me hurtful messages, 36:28.375 --> 36:31.375 but they don't hold back with him. 36:31.750 --> 36:35.750 "They're calling it the biggest disaster 36:35.833 --> 36:40.000 in Indian cinema." Those were the kinds of messages he was getting. 36:40.541 --> 36:42.625 Thankfully, he didn't tell me that at the time. 36:43.208 --> 36:45.500 I asked him, 36:46.125 --> 36:48.166 "What's a safe budget for part two, 36:49.375 --> 36:55.708 so we don't end up losing money?" 36:56.208 --> 36:59.125 But it was obvious we couldn't afford it. 36:59.416 --> 37:02.750 As far as we were concerned, it was the end of our careers. 37:03.583 --> 37:07.125 Shobu sir, Prasad sir, and Rajamouli sir would have ended up on the streets. 37:07.208 --> 37:13.750 If anything had gone wrong during the making of part two, 37:14.041 --> 37:16.083 they were sure to end up on the streets.