This is how SS Rajamouli's Baahubali has decreed the fate of other similar films that came out after it. Read the full story right here!...
Check out how it had an impact on these movies
It is not an exaggeration when people say that SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali has changed the face of Indian cinema. The fantasy epic has opened up whole new vistas of story telling in a grand and larger than life manner. Yet, even now, we don’t see much films in the South that try to attempt a Baahubali, because now there is the immense pressure of matching up to the Prabhas starrer. But over the last year, only three films have bravely ventured forth into the realm of fantasy. Let us see what happened to them…
Puli
Release Date: The Vijay, Shruti Haasan and Hansika Motwani starrer had a worldwide release on October 1, 2015.
Box Office: The overall collections of the Ilayathalapathy fantasy film was a puny Rs 26.87 crore, a very small sum when compared to the SS Rajamouli epic which earned 20 times more. The collections of Baahubali stands at roughly Rs 600 crore. So you can see the huge difference!
Reception: The film received highly negative reviews from fans and critics alike. Puli lacked proper VFX, good acting and even a good story. Only thing the Puli team got right was the costumes. Vijay was far from convincing as a warrior. Many held the belief that Puli is a film no adult will really watch, and even the kids will not really enjoy it. On the whole, it was a huge flop.
Legacy: After Sura, if any other film has haunted Vijay, then it has to be Puli. The actor faced ridicule from the fans of rival actors for months, until Theri came out, which managed to save his image. Before the film’s release, Vijay fans challenged that it will beat Baahubali. However, it was these unrealistic expectations which made Puli’s failure even more disastrous.
Rudramadevi
Release Date: The Anushka Shetty, Allu Arjun and Rana Daggubati starrer had a worldwide release on October 9, 2015.
Box Office: Rudramadevi earned an impressive collection of Rs 86.92 crores in its entire lifetime, which for a historical, non commercial film is a pretty big deal. In fact, Rudramadevi has the honour of having the fifth largest opening day collections for an Indian film, which was around a whopping Rs 11.70 Crores.
Reception: The film was well received by fans and critics alike. During the release, the movie had massive advance bookings thanks to the extremely positive word of mouth by the public. The entire cast especially Anushka Shetty, was really appreciated for their performances. In the end, Rudramadevi is the one film that bears closest resemblance to Baahubali in terms of setting and characters, with both Rana and Anushka also being a part of both films.
Legacy: It must be said that Rudramadevi could have turned into something monumental had Baahubali not released just a few months before it. In the end, people drew parallels and the film obviously did not match the Prabhas starrer, however good it may be. The sad fact is that Rudramadevi was supposed to release a full one year before its actual release. If that had happened, who knows how it could have affected Baahubali.
Release date: The Suriya starrer sci fi/ fantasy released on May 6, 2016 around the world.
Box Office: The exact figures of the time travelling fantasy film is still unknown, but within a month, it had easily crossed Rs 100 crore in its worldwide collections, a feat that is nothing short of incredible for a regional film. Not just that, 24 is the only film after Baahubali to have really high box office collections in the opening weekend which was around Rs 73.8 crore.
Reception: 24 received a raving response when it released at the box office. Everyone appreciated the fact that the Vikram Kumar film actually focused on time travel as a concept instead of using it as a tool to simply advance the story. A good mix of commercial elements along with the novel storyline made 24 the blockbuster that it is today.
Legacy: The fantasy film has become one of the biggest hits of Suriya’s career. His portrayal of all three characters, especially the scheming and villainous Athreya is now a stuff of legend. There are talks that the actor is bound to receive a few awards for that role alone. Also, it was not just a glorious film for Suriya, but also for director Vikram Kumar, who has found fame and glory all of a sudden. Interestingly, the film had a really solid VFX, just like Baahubali, which ensured its success.
So to sum things up, while Baahubali is now encouraging more and more filmmakers to venture into the fantasy realm, it has also really upped the game. A fantasy flick can no longer strive with shoddy visuals and graphics, it has to be perfect. In the long run, this is good for South Indian cinema as it will raise the overall standard of films.