5 things Baahubali filmmaker SS Rajamouli said at JLF 2017

Despite directing blockbusters like Magadheera and Eega, SS Rajamouli became a global icon only in 2015, after spearheading the epic fantasy saga Baahubali: The Beginning.

His much-anticipated Baahubali 2 is currently in the post-production stage.

SS Rajamouli, actor Rana Daggubati and producer Prasad Devineni were at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017 to unveil the cover of the book The Rise of Sivagami, authored by Anand Neelakantan.

SS Rajamouli and Rana Daggubati spoke at length about Baahubali, while Anand Neelakantan gave some insight into his upcoming book, which is based on the eponymous character Sivagami from Baahubali.

On The Rise of Sivagami:

Known to tell a story from an alternate perspective, Anand Neelakantan, whose Asura received an unanimous positive response from readers, is writing a three-part series based on Baahubali, which will tell the story from Sivagami’s point of view.

At the same time, Anand revealed that the book is not just about Sivagami, but several other characters who build up the narration. Apart from its protagonist Sivagami, the book will give prominence to Katappa, who, according to the author, is the second main character in the book.

Talking about Sivagami’s character, Anand said, “Sivagami for me epitomises Indian motherhood. She’s Kunti, she’s Draupadi, she’s Sita, and she’s Durga."

SS Rajamouli on Sivagami:

In Baahubali, Sivagami, before dying, requests God to save Shivudu, even at the cost of her life. Responding to the question if Sivagami was vulnerable at that point, Rajamouli said, “Sivagami doesn’t ask God, but demands. Sivagami was never weak.”

During the Kalakeya war, Sivagami makes a crude statement about the Kalakeya leader. Speaking about that scene, Rajamouli quickly clarified, “Had she not uttered those words, Sivagami would have been a normal woman.”

Rana Daggubati on Baahubali:

Better known as Bhallaladeva, Rana Daggubati made an interesting revelation at JLF 2017. While prepping for Bhallaladeva, Rana was heavily inspired by veteran actor Kamal Haasan’s Nayagan. He went on the record saying that Kamal Haasan remains an encyclopaedia for actors across generations.

When quizzed whether he was sceptical playing an ageing villain, Rana said, “Was I sceptical about playing an old character? Yes. But not about playing an old, powerful warrior.”

Prasad Devineni on Baahubali:

Baahubali is no longer a film, said Prasad, “It’s the world of Baahubali.” Baahubali’s visual experience made even some Hollywood films pale in comparison. Asked if a film is killed with the amount of VFX mounted on it, Prasad said, “Since its inception, Rajamouli believed in his characters and not in the VFX.”

Rajamouli on The Rise of Sivagami:

Impressed by Anand’s Asura, Rajamouli said that he wanted him to write the book on Sivagami. Talking about Anand, he said, “If Anand could make Ravan’s story so compelling, I could only imagine what he would do with a character like Sivagami.”

Before Baahubali, Rajamouli said he wrote a lot of back stories of each and every character that is in no way related to the movie. With his inputs, Anand Neelakantan created a whole new world called The Rise of Sivagami.

Also read - 5 things to look forward to in Baahubali: The Conclusion