“We are all emotional, since we won’t be meeting again for Baahubali,” starts off Prabhas, adding, “I know the film has been completed and is all set to release, but I haven’t come out of it yet. I still feel that Rajamouli may call me for some patch work, a small scene or to dub something, because it’s been an emotional journey for all of us. Especially for me, as I am very close to Rajamouli and his family.”
The actor’s name has become synonymous with Baahubali across India. “I never imagined that I could become this popular. Wherever I go, they connect the film with my name. Some people call me Parabhas, some Prabaas and others Prabhas, but whatever the name, earlier, they knew only my face, but now they know me as a person,” says Prabhas.
Prabhas, who is very attached to his mother, missed her a lot during the out-of-station shooting schedules. “Yes, whenever I would be back in Hyderabad, I would go to see my mother and sister at once, or they would come to my shoot location. I feel dull when I am unable to see my mother for long. So, when I am in Hyderabad, I spend time with her. Once I see my mother's smiling face, I forget all the shooting pressures and tensions. I am the happiest person at that moment,” says the actor.
Prabhas in conversation with actress Anushka and Rajamouli on the sets of Baahubali — The Conclusion
Revealing more about his mother, the actor shares that whenever he shoots in Hyderabad, his food comes from home. “90 per cent of the time, she cooks my food,” says the actor. When you ask what his mother cooks best, he says, “She is best with vegetarian food and her best dish is veg pulao. When we were in Chennai, her favourite was appam, but once we shifted to Hyderabad, she has forgotten about it,” he says.
He also talks about how his entire family — cousins and all would visit Mogaltur, the native village. “We would all meet at my village every year for Sankranti. But in the last few years we haven't been there much because of my hectic shooting schedules,” he reveals. On another note, talking about director Rajamouli, he shares that he is not just his guru but also his close friend. “I shared my inputs with him as I feel totally free with him. I never see him as a big director. So, when he explains the scene, I share my thoughts as well,” he says. He adds that no one can imagine why Kattappa killed Baahubali, the raging question which has become a national debate.
“Some magic happened for the first part and it became a huge success as people liked different things,” he says. When asked if there’s a hint in the trailer, he says, “The reason for the killing can’t be told in a few words! It is a long story that spans over 20 scenes. It will be narrated in the story and only then you understand.”Talking about Anushka, he says, she is the South’s superstar, but did that role because of Rajamouli. “Being a superstar, it’s not easy to accept the role of an old woman, but she did because of Rajamouli.”
When asked about her weight issues, he says, “She put on weight for Size Zero, but drastically reduced for Baahubali. You can see the difference and she worked hard for it.”Meanwhile, the actor’s next film has begun, so we ask him if he plans to match the film to the scale of Baahubali, and he says, “No. If you look at my career, I have already proved that after a big action film like Chatrapati, I could do a cool film like Darling. I bashed 20 to 25 people in Chatrapati, but in my next film, I played the complete opposite, which was accepted,” he says.Talking of Tollywood’s number game, he says, “If you come out with a good story, the numbers and collections follow.
So, I am not looking at numbers or collections, but concentrating on a better story — whether it's an A class or a mass film.”Is there pressure from fans? “Yes, a lot. But whatever I am today, is because of them. So, whatever I do I keep them in mind. Commercials films are only for my fans,” he says. Talking about his career, he says that he may not do a film like Baahubali again. “This film comes once in a lifetime and may not happen again. I may act in many more films in the future, but Baahubali will be the best in my career,” he concludes.
