'India's 300' set to be country's most expensive film yet
US$40 million historical epic Baahubali, about brothers battling for control of ancient kingdom, turns spotlight from Bollywood to Tollywood and Kollywood
An epic battle movie likened to American blockbuster 300 is set to become India's most expensive film ever, but it's a lesser-known industry, not Bollywood, that will smash the record.
The two-part Baahubali, costing still a fraction of the cost of Hollywood blockbusters, is being made in the Telugu and Tamil languages for the so-called Tollywood and Kollywood markets, respectively.
Its release shines a welcome spotlight on southern India's lesser-known film industries, which are often overshadowed by the glitz and glamour of the country's internationally bankable Hindi-language Bollywood films.
Director S.S. Rajamouli says the movie, which eager cinema-goers are also comparing to Hercules, will break the previous big-budget Indian film by a whopping US$17 million.
"There are still over a hundred days of shooting left, followed by post-production for the second part. The budget will definitely be over 250 crore rupees [US$40 million] for both parts," Rajamouli says.
Baahubali, literally meaning "The One With Strong Arms", is laden with special effects and tells the fictional story of two warring brothers battling for control of an ancient Indian kingdom.