Has Baahubali really copied 35 scenes from Hollywood films? A breakdown

SS Rajamouli gained global popularity thanks to his ambitiously over-the-top Baahubali franchise. However, as a viral video on Twitter shows, a few crucial scenes from the two films might have been a tad bit inspired by period action flicks like 300 and Hercules. 

However, the video might be exaggerating the inspirations as some scenes might be too formulaic for such fantasy films in general. For instance, the scene involving Bhallaladeva running towards a bull is similar to a scene in 2014's Hercules but the sequence still doesn't seem like a frame-to-frame remake. Similarly, the battle formation of an army covering itself with shields is comparable to several real-life examples such as ancient Rome's "turtle formation" and not just a sequence from Lord of the Rings. 

Apart from 300, the video also makes comparisons with another Zack Snyder film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But it isn't possible that Rajamouli ripped off the DC film as it was released in 2015, a year after Baahubali's release. Wonder Woman, another Hollywood blockbuster featured in the video, came out in 2017, the same year as Baahubali 2. 

Still, the resemblances (intentional or unintentional) are pretty uncanny. You can slide across the images below to see for yourself. 

1- Tree Of The Dead (300) 

2- Jellyfish replaced by butterflies (Avatar)