Breaking The Box-Office

RACHIT GUPTA chronicles the game changing might of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. Here’s how SS Rajamouli’s tribute to Indian mythology and drama has influenced the future of Indian cinema

- Rachit Gupta

For the first time in the history of Indian cinema, a film has crossed the 1500 crore mark at the boxoffice worldwide. No doubt, it was expected that Baahubali 2: The Conclusion would create a storm. They just didn’t figure the storm would turn into a global tsunami. Baahubali 2, the fantasy epic with larger-than-life action and romance, marks a paradigm shift for Indian films. Hollywood has always made movies that find universal relevance, while Hindi cinema and its regional industries have specialised in local content. But SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2 has changed the game. By managing feats like the US Top 10 finish, this ambitious film has rewritten the rules of engagement for Indian releases.

At the time of going to press, the film had earned 1538 crores at the worldwide box-office. In a direct conversion to Hollywood’s US$ receipts, that figure sits at around US$ 240 million. No Indian film has ever come close to this feat. Even if Baahubali 2 had been an American production, the 240 million tag would’ve been respectful enough. Surely, this Indian production has been a path-breaker and carved out territories that Indian filmmakers can now hope to tread.

THE BUILD UP

The Baahubali films were launched back in 2013. Over the next two years, Rajamouli’s Baahubali branched out into a franchise even before its release. The grand scale and production values meant the filmmaker would release his film in two parts, a la Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings franchise. So in 2015, when the first Baahubali released with the title of being India’s most expensive film, the stage was set. This 180-crore film managed to earn 650 crores around the world. That paved the way for the sequel.