He tells us why not just Bollywood, but even its stars can’t make a Baahubali
There has been much discussion about making a film like Baahubali in Bollywood, in terms of budget and grandeur. Baahubali 2 became the first ever Indian film to gross over Rs 1,000 crore in all languages, in just 10 days. Can Bollywood ever make a film of this standard?
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who hardly has any good things to say about any film or actor, is all praises for i. He tells us why not just Bollywood, but even its stars can’t make a Baahubali. Ramu explains, “There are two parts to it — one is the scale to have larger-than-life kind of images and two is to make that kind of money. Though that may be possible, I doubt if it will have the massy kind of conviction of a SS Rajamouli. More than the vision, I am not sure how many Bollywood directors would have that kind of conviction. They won’t believe it will work.”
Ramu also sounds awed by Prabhas’ level of conviction. “The kind of conviction with which Prabhas has done Baahubali 1 and 2 is amazing, apart from his investing two-three years in a film. It takes an enormous conviction to walk in high-speed level and do the kind of action and drama, which only some South Indian stars like Prabhas can do. I find that quality lacking in our Bollywood stars. They have this extra-ordinary conviction in commercial masala drama and this coupled with that kind of scale of imagery is what worked with Baahubali. I have seen both the parts and loved both.”
The filmmaker admits that he can never make a Baahubali. “I have neither the patience, the passion nor the extra-ordinary commitment of what Rajamouli has. I don’t have even one per cent of what he has.”
