Producer Shobu Yarlagadda of Arka Media Works has revealed that ace filmmaker SS Rajamouli was initially planning to make Baahubali as a single film in three hours.
Speaking at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Shobu said, “The problem was the length – it couldn’t fit into three hours. We weren’t sure to let go of the story. “That’s why we thought to do it as a two-part film. Rajamouli wanted to go back and try to accommodate it in a three-hour single film, but we stopped him from doing so.”
“I had confidence in Rajamouli. The challenge was the timeline and to stick to the budget. But we did surpass our deadline and budget. It started as a Rs 120 crore project and then it went further. We always knew the film had to be pan-India. It did get a North Indian release but it wasn’t justified I believe,” he added.