Hopefully, Saaho will satisfy my Baahubali fans: Prabhas

Once again, you are in Chennai. What do you like about the city otherwise?

It feels good because I grew up here and studied in Don Bosco, Egmore. Even as a child, I was in awe of Tamil films. I remember pestering my mother to get me the same off-white kurta Kamal (Haasan) sir wore in Sagara Sangamam. Those were the days! I’m a huge fan of Superstar gaaru and Mani Ratnam sir. Rajini sir had good things to say about Baahubali, and I’ll always cherish the brief telephonic conversation we had.

Saaho is made on a grand budget. Did you feel like revisiting Baahubali?

Not at all. Both are different in terms of approach, storytelling and the making. Baahubali had a lot of actors besides me; whereas in Saaho, I’m the only one shouldering the entire film. After Baahubali, I realised it’s difficult to impress the audience. For sure, we didn’t surpass Baahubali. That wasn’t our intention, either. With Saaho, we’ve experimented with new things. Saaho is not larger-than-life, like Baahubali. It’s a contemporary film which has rich production values. For a 12-minute action scene, we shelled out Rs 8 crore. Hopefully, Saaho will satisfy my Baahubali fans. They know not every film can be a Baahubali.

What made you accept Saaho and what does the title mean?

We say Jai-ho, right? Saaho is something similar along those lines. Sujeeth narrated the story even before the Baahubali release. I liked the compelling screenplay, which is full of twists and turns. For every ten minutes, you’ll have a ‘surprise’. Of course, we’ve taken a few cinematic liberties here and there. (Smiles) I believed in Sujeeth. Saaho is his second film, but he was never tense. He’s a cool guy.

Do you follow the box-office numbers? Does it pressurise you?

I’m aware there are expectations. When the budget is high, the stress is naturally high. You need to make all sections of the audience like a film. That’s why I don’t want to do big-budget films immediately. I want to strictly stay away from them for some time. See, I did only three films in the past six years. But again, to make a quality film, we need money. Lots of it.

What can you tell us about Saaho?

I am an avid foodie, but I had to turn a vegetarian for Saaho. During Baahubali, I ate a lot of meat to put on muscle weight. (Grins)

Do you visit theaters and catch FDFS of your films?

I’d love to watch my films along with fans, but mostly end up spending time with friends or simply sleep. During Baahubali, I asked my friends to wake me up only if the film becomes a hit. (Grins)

Some of the high-octane sequences in the Saaho trailer seem straight out of a Hollywood film.

We shot Saaho in seven to eight countries from Austria to Croatia. Transformers’ action director Kenny Bates choreographed action sequences and all the stunts appear real. We got a 40-member crew from Hollywood, which had some of the best technicians in the world, and shot some of the interesting scenes in Abu Dhabi. I think they found it challenging to cope with our working pattern. I don’t want to compare Saaho with any Hollywood action film.

How was it to deliver the lines in Hindi?

My Tamil is much better than Hindi. (Laughs). I couldn’t dub for my character in Tamil, though, owing to lack of time. But, I’m keen to dub my lines in my future projects in Tamil. For Baahubali, I didn’t struggle much because we shot only in Tamil and Telugu. In Telugu, usually, we stress a word only at the end; but in Hindi, we do the same in the beginning. Doing a successful film in one’s mother tongue is different from venturing into something new. A lot of preparation went into it as we don’t speak in Hindi at home. I had a Hindi tutor to get my diction right.

All right. A few words about your co-star Shraddha Kapoor.

She’s dedicated and a great dancer. We were expecting to finish Saaho in a year, but it required more time. She was patient enough and extended her complete support throughout.

Can we see you in a straight Tamil film someday?

I’d love to. I’m listening to scripts. Let’s see. I don’t restrict myself to anything. In fact, I want to do films in different languages. Small or big, I don’t mind. Only the scripts matter.

You have become a different person, altogether, in front of the camera.

That’s my job. For instance, Amarendra Baahubali can’t be a shy person. He displays a certain amount of valour and I did the best I could for the role. Even in Saaho, I had to be energetic. Of course, I can’t speak the way I’m speaking right now. (Smiles) But this is how I’m in real life. Otherwise, I easily detach myself from a film. I don’t do method acting.

You started your career in 2002 with Easwar. Now, you are recognised as an ‘International actor’.

I’m grateful for everything. Thanks to Rajamouli gaaru, in particular. Without him, nothing would have been possible. I’m indebted to him forever. Honestly, we never thought Baahubali 2 would be a huge hit. That was unexpected.

Having said that, do you fear failure?

I do. The future is unpredictable. Anything can happen.

What is brewing between you and Anushka Shetty?

I don’t know what to say. Everyone asks me the same question wherever I go. I’m used to it. Those things (you heard) are rumours. (Smiles)

What’s next?

I have a love story – another pan-Indian project I am working on currently. 20 days of shooting is over. The film is set in the late 70s. We are looking to release the film in 2020.