Baahubali: A Risky Gamble with Borrowed Rs 400 Crores, Reveals Rana Daggubati

In a recent event, Rana Daggubati, one of the lead actors in the blockbuster film Baahubali, disclosed that a staggering amount of Rs 400 crores was borrowed to fund the making of the movie. Directed by SS Rajamouli and starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati in the lead roles, Baahubali achieved immense success upon its release in 2015, grossing over Rs 600 crores at the box office. Its sequel, Baahubali 2, collected over Rs 500 crores. However, the financial journey behind the film’s creation remained unknown to many.

During the event, Rana Daggubati shed light on the challenges filmmakers face in financing their projects, emphasizing the high-interest rates associated with borrowing money for movie production. He stated, “Three-four years ago, there was money in the movies coming from? It was either their (filmmaker’s) house or their property that was pledged to the bank, made on interest, and it comes back. We used to pay around 24-28 percent interest. That’s the borrowing in films. For a film like Baahubali, a borrowing of Rs 300-400 crore at that interest.”

Furthermore, Rana revealed that after the release of Baahubali: The Beginning, the makers borrowed an additional Rs 180 crore at a steep interest rate of 24 percent for five and a half years. He elaborated, “Part 1 was a struggle. We spent twice over the highest collected film in Telugu. So no math ever made the justification of what we borrowed, how we made it. It was 180 crore plus borrowed at 24 percent interest over five-and-a-half years. We shot a little bit of Baahubali 2 as well, so if this film didn’t work, we didn’t know what will happen.”

SS Rajamouli, the director of Baahubali, also acknowledged the immense financial risks involved in the project. In May of this year, he expressed his concerns about the fate of the film, considering the substantial investments made by the producers. “I thought if it is indeed a disaster as people are speaking, then the person who trusted me and journeyed with me for the past three years would be going to a place from where he can’t get up again,” Rajamouli said.

The revelation of the borrowed funds and the financial risks taken by the Baahubali team shed light on the tremendous efforts and sacrifices made in the pursuit of creating a cinematic masterpiece. The film’s success stands as a testament to the dedication and vision of the filmmakers, as well as the incredible support from the audience.

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