Amid the promotional activities for his upcoming film Kaantha, actor and producer Rana Daggubati was recently reminded of the re-release of one of the most career-defining projects, SS Rajamouli’s remastered compilation film, Baahubali: The Epic.
In a conversation with Galatta Plus, the actor shared his experience of watching the extended cut and reflected on the film’s lasting legacy and its benchmark-setting impact on Indian cinema.
🕰️ Revisiting the Epic Decade Later
Rana Daggubati, who famously portrayed the antagonist Bhallaladeva, confirmed that he has indeed seen the full, combined run-time of the film, which stretches to 3 hours and 40 minutes.
He described the experience of watching the film a decade after its original parts were released as thoroughly enjoyable. The actor recalled that the final, compiled version was actually the first story that was ever told to the team.
“It is fun because that was the first story that was told to us. It was supposed to be one film at some point. It was just a long one film… it was just so amazing to revisit that and that we got to see it a decade later and still has aged beautifully, on the big screen.”
👑 The Benchmark for Indian Mythology
Daggubati emphasized the unparalleled cultural and cinematic impact of the Baahubali franchise, particularly how it visualized large-scale Indian mythology for audiences.
“In India you grow up with stories of mythology, stories of wars and gods and kings, and the only reference you have as a feature film is Baahubali,” he stated. He added that the film gave audiences a reference for “how the warriors of Mahabharat could have been.”
He credited director SS Rajamouli for pushing every boundary to achieve that vision, concluding that the dedication of the entire team would always be the “largest impact” on his life.
🎬 About Baahubali: The Epic
The film, which re-released in cinemas on October 31, is a remastered compilation of Rajamouli’s two blockbusters: Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).
The iconic cast includes Prabhas (in dual roles), Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Rana Daggubati, and Nassar. Both the sound and visuals of the combined cut received a complete overhaul and remastering before returning to the big screen.