The Baahubali franchise didn’t just shatter box office records in India, it became a global phenomenon that crossed borders in unexpected ways. Recalling one such memorable incident in the Netflix documentary Bahubali: The Torchbearer, Prabhas revealed how filmmaker Puri Jagannadh received VIP treatment at a hospital in Bangkok simply because he introduced himself as the superstar’s friend, leaving the Baahubali team stunned by the film’s international reach.
Baahubali’s popularity in Bangkok
Prabhas recalled how Baahubali’s popularity got filmmaker Puri Jagannadh special treatment and said, “Baahubali 1 turned out to be a blockbuster. Six months into the shoot of part two at Ramoji Film City, Puri Jagannadh called me from Bangkok. He had a small infection and was waiting at a hospital when a nurse asked him if he was from India. When he said yes, she immediately asked, ‘Baahubali?'”
The actor added, “Puri was shocked and asked if she had seen the film. She said everyone had watched it and even the doctor loved it. He showed her a photograph of us together and told her he was my friend. She immediately took the picture to the doctor and said, ‘He’s Baahubali’s friend!’ They skipped his waiting time and treated him immediately.”
Prabhas further revealed that after the incident, Puri immediately sent him a voice message recounting everything that had happened at the hospital. At the time, Prabhas was with director S. S. Rajamouli and producer Rama. While they were aware of the film’s popularity in Japan, after hearing Puri narrate the experience in Bangkok, the team was left amazed by how far Baahubali’s popularity had reached.
In the documentary, Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty have hinted that there will be a Baahubali 3, leaving fans excited. The Baahubali franchise started in 2018 with Baahubali: The Beginning. The film became a huge critical and commercial success, and later, the second part broke box office records, collecting ₹1788 crore worldwide at the box office. The film earned Prabhas fans not only in North India but also in Japan.
Prabhas’ upcoming work
Prabhas will next be seen in Fauji. Helmed by Hanu Raghavapudi, the film is backed by Mythri Movie Makers and also stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Jayapradha and Imanvi in key roles. The release date of the film is yet to be announced. Apart from this, Prahas also has Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit alongside Triptii Dimri and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD sequel alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in the pipeline.