Overview
Baahubali: The Beginning is an Indian epic action film released in 2015, written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. Produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under the Arka Media Works banner, the film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil, and was subsequently dubbed into Hindi, Malayalam and other languages. It is the first instalment of a two-part saga, followed by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).
The film stars Prabhas in a dual role, alongside Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj and Nassar. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive Indian film ever made, and it became a landmark in Indian cinema for its scale, visual effects and pan-Indian commercial success.
Key facts
| Title | Baahubali: The Beginning |
|---|---|
| Director | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Writer | V. Vijayendra Prasad (story); S. S. Rajamouli (screenplay) |
| Producers | Shobu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni |
| Production company | Arka Media Works |
| Music | M. M. Keeravani |
| Cinematography | K. K. Senthil Kumar |
| Editing | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao |
| Languages | Telugu, Tamil (simultaneous); dubbed in Hindi, Malayalam and others |
| Release date | 10 July 2015 |
| Genre | Epic, action, fantasy drama |
| Sequel | Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) |
Cast
- Prabhas as Shivudu / Mahendra Baahubali and Amarendra Baahubali
- Rana Daggubati as Bhallaladeva
- Anushka Shetty as Devasena
- Tamannaah as Avantika
- Ramya Krishnan as Sivagami
- Sathyaraj as Kattappa
- Nassar as Bijjaladeva
- Adivi Sesh as Jaya Varma
- Tanikella Bharani as Rajaguru Katyayan
Plot
The narrative is set in the fictional kingdom of Mahishmati. A young man named Shivudu, raised by a tribal family near a great waterfall, sets out to climb it in pursuit of a mysterious woman, Avantika. He learns that she belongs to a resistance group attempting to free Devasena, a queen held captive by the tyrannical king Bhallaladeva. Shivudu is eventually revealed to be Mahendra Baahubali, the son of the slain hero Amarendra Baahubali. The film closes with the loyal warrior Kattappa narrating the back-story, ending on the cliffhanger that he himself had killed Amarendra Baahubali.
Production
The project was conceived by V. Vijayendra Prasad, the father of S. S. Rajamouli. Principal photography began on 6 July 2013 at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. The two parts were shot back-to-back over several years. Visual effects were primarily handled by Makuta VFX, with contributions from other Indian and international studios. The film featured large-scale set construction, extensive use of CGI for the city of Mahishmati and the waterfall sequences, and elaborate battle choreography by Peter Hein and others.
The soundtrack was composed by M. M. Keeravani, with lyrics by Manoj Muntashir for the Hindi version. The audio was launched on 16 June 2015 in Hyderabad.
Release and reception
The film released worldwide on 10 July 2015 across multiple languages. The Hindi version was presented in north India by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. It received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, performances, scale, music and visual effects.
Commercially, the film became a major success, breaking several box office records in India and abroad, and emerging as one of the highest-grossing Indian films up to that point. It had particularly strong success in markets where Telugu-language films had earlier had limited reach, helping to popularise the idea of the "pan-Indian" film.
Awards
At the 63rd National Film Awards, Baahubali: The Beginning won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the National Film Award for Best Special Effects. It also received several Filmfare Awards South, Nandi Awards, SIIMA Awards and other honours for direction, technical craft and performances.
Significance
The film is widely regarded as a turning point in Indian cinema. It demonstrated the commercial viability of high-budget, technically ambitious productions outside the Hindi film industry, and accelerated the trend of multilingual, simultaneously released "pan-Indian" films. Its success raised the profile of Telugu cinema nationally and internationally, and influenced subsequent large-scale productions such as RRR, KGF and Ponniyin Selvan.
The cliffhanger question "Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?" became a widely discussed cultural reference in India during the gap between the two films.
Related media
The Baahubali franchise was extended through tie-in works, including the animated series Baahubali: The Lost Legends, the novel The Rise of Sivagami by Anand Neelakantan, graphic novels published by Graphic India, and a stage adaptation. A live-action prequel series, Baahubali: Before the Beginning, was developed for streaming platforms.