Prabhas recalls SS Rajamouli's bizarre request to keep a horse at home during Baahubali prep: ‘Are you serious?’

Baahubali: The Beginning, directed by SS Rajamouli, took two-and-a-half years to shoot. The film was released in 2015.

As Baahubali: The Beginning completes 11 years, the film continues to stand as one of the biggest milestones in Indian cinema. When SS Rajamouli's Baahubali released, it didn't just rewrite box office history but changed the face of Indian cinema too. The franchise raised the bar for storytelling, action and visual spectacle, turning Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty into pan-India stars.

The two Baahubali films have earned ₹2400 crore at the box office.

Prabhas played Amarendra Baahubali and Mahendra Baahubali. While viewers witnessed the larger-than-life spectacle on screen, the journey to becoming Baahubali demanded years of relentless preparation. Looking back at those days, Prabhas once shared a hilarious anecdote about Rajamouli's insistence on perfecting his horse-riding skills.

Prabhas shares anecdote

Sharing the experience, Prabhas said, "I would miss a horse riding session and then blame it on the weather. He insisted that I take it seriously and even asked me to keep a horse at home. I said, 'Keep a horse at home? Are you serious?' I had these ducks at my guest house. He told me that horses were the real deal and asked me to go horse riding every day. I said, 'Now I have to raise a horse for your film!'"

Meanwhile, speculation surrounding Baahubali 3 gained fresh momentum after a clip from the documentary Baahubali: The Torchbearer went viral on social media. In the video, Prabhas, Rana and Anushka appear to tease the possibility of another instalment in Rajamouli's blockbuster franchise, leaving fans convinced that a third chapter may finally be in the works.

In the now-viral clip, Rana can be heard saying, “I don’t know if I should say this publicly, but since Rajamouli and Shobu garu aren’t here, I will just say what’s on my mind. The world may not be ready yet, but there will be Baahubali...” before trailing off. Moments later, Prabhas flashes three fingers with a smile, prompting laughter from everyone on the couch, including Anushka. Adding to the buzz, the clip concludes with the words, “And the legacy continues!”

About the Baahubali films

The Baahubali franchise began in 2015 with Baahubali: The Beginning. The epic fantasy film featured Prabhas in a dual role alongside Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj and Nassar. The film received both national and international acclaim for its visual effects, performances and Rajamouli’s direction, and went on to become the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time.

Its sequel, Baahubali: The Conclusion, turned out to be an even bigger phenomenon and remains one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, with a worldwide box office collection of around ₹1,788 crore.

Prabhas will next be seen in Fauzi, Spirit, Kalki 2898 AD Part 2, and Salaar Part 2: Shouryaanga Parvam.