Will Om Raut's Adipurush turn the tide for Prabhas after two successive flops?
Will Om Raut's Adipurush turn the tide for Prabhas after two successive flops?
He believes he is lucky to be seen as a pan-Indian hero but has stated that he feels tremendous pressure as well. ‘Rebel Star’ Prabhas as he is known in the Telugu film industry, has seen his career take a different trajectory since the magnum opus ‘Baahubali’ put him firmly on the global map. Prabhas is now touted to be the highest-paid actor because of his strong market across India and this south star has shown that one can definitely make it big in the Indian film industry without a godfather, just like Shah Rukh Khan.
Post ‘Baahubali’, the ‘Mr Perfect’ star has a string of numerous big films in his kitty – ‘Saaho’ directed by Telugu director Sujeeth; ‘Radhe Shyam’ helmed by Telugu director Radha Krishna Kumar; ‘Adipurush’ directed by Om Raut; ‘Salaar’ helmed by ‘KGF’ director Prashanth Neel; ‘Project K’ by Nag Ashwin and ‘Spirit’ by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. All these pan-Indian projects put together are said to be worth more than Rs 1800 crores and with such a large sum riding on him, Prabhas is definitely creating a new path for himself and for other actors in Indian cinema today. Unfortunately, both ‘Saaho’ (2019) and ‘Radhe Shyam’ (2022) failed to create a buzz at the box office and his popularity seems to have taken a beating. So, what does this mean for the Rebel Star and his career?
Prabhas spent a good four years on SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus (2013-2017) and this shows his level of commitment and dedication to a project. Since 2017, he has had two releases and the failure of these big projects would obviously add pressure on his upcoming releases. The actor seems very positive about his upcoming films. ‘Salaar’ coming towards the end of 2023 is helmed by Prashanth Neel who is coming off a golden run with ‘KGF’ so the industry believes that it will be a good flick. But it is ‘Adipurush’, releasing in January 2023, that will be the litmus test for the Telugu star. With Om Raut’s ‘Adipurush’ being reportedly made on a Rs 400 crore budget, the pressure is on for the actor.
“Not just for Prabhas but for most stars the market is good, bad or ugly as the films they feature in and the consistency with which they do good films. Prabhas had ‘Baahubali’ which did extremely well and because of the Rajamouli factor was a great film. ‘Saaho’ was a half-decent film and because Prabhas featured in it, his star power carried forward from ‘Baahubali’ and did reasonably ok. ‘Radhe Shyam’ was substandard and didn’t do well at all. It’s back to the time when the onus is now on storytellers which turn films into hits or flops. And this is great. In the case of ‘Adipurush’, Om Raut is a spectacular filmmaker and visually he’s a very cinematic storyteller. With a tale like Ramayana which connects with every Indian, I’m sure it’ll turn out well and I’m hoping it’ll be one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema,” says Akshaye Rathi, director, Aashirwad Theatres Pvt Ltd.
What it all boils down to at this point is how good the storytelling is on screen and the kind of role written for Prabhas. The director’s vision is key and - unlike earlier - when a star’s presence in the film would bring in the crowds, today the audience expects a proper story and engaging experience. Clearly gone are the days when a few songs shot abroad, a number of well-choreographed fights and some family drama, were enough to make a film.
Prabhas received a lot of flak after the ‘Radhe Shyam’ debacle but trade experts say all is not lost. June 28, 2022, marked 20 years of Prabhas in the Indian film industry and there is a lot more to come from him, say Tollywood filmmakers. One Telugu film trade expert stated that both ‘Adipurush’ and ‘Salaar’ are important for Prabhas’ career given the kind of money riding on him at the moment. If these films don't do well by some remote chance, then he is in trouble is what they opine.
The success of ‘Baahubali’ can be seen as a boon for the stars in it but in Prabhas’ case, having every film compared to the Rajamouli film is turning out to be a negative factor. He has stated to the media that it’s unrealistic to match the expectations of that film with every subsequent film and it does stress him every time a big-budget film of his releases. Right now, all eyes are on ‘Adipurush’ and though he has signed on other big films, this early 2023 release has the ability to put Prabhas back in the game if it does well.
Latha Srinivasan is a senior journalist based in Chennai. Her passion is entertainment, travel, and dogs.
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