When Mahesh Bahu said SS Rajamouli inspired him to ‘dream big’: ‘Baahubali inspired many people…’

In an old interview, Mahesh Babu opened up about how Rajamouli's Baahubali changed the way actors and filmmakers started thinking, why he takes failures seriously, and probable political sojourn.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | March 11, 2025 08:27 PM IST

3 min read

A query has been sent to Mahesh Babu Foundation, based in Hyderabad, Telangana, and its response is awaited.

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu and acclaimed filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s globe-trotting adventure, tentatively titled SSMB 29, is currently being shot in Odisha. Interestingly, this has been a collaboration that has been in the works for over a decade. In an interview with News 18 around the time of 2017 film Spyder’s release, Mahesh revealed that they were going to do a film next, and well… it has taken almost 8 years for it to come to fruition.

In the interview, Mahesh had said that in the post-Baahubali era, everyone has developed the urge to dream big, and believe that their vision will find the right audience. Crediting Rajamouli for this change in thought process, Mahesh said, “I didn’t do films in other languages mainly because I always wanted a Telugu film made in the Telugu states reach a wider audience across linguistic differences. That dream was realised by Rajamouli with Baahubali, and it has inspired many people, including me, to dream big.”

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Talking about dreams, and coming from an industry where actors turning into politicians and even Chief Ministers isn’t unheard of, Mahesh Babu reiterated that his heart lies in cinema, and he doesn’t dream of anything else. “I have never been interested in politics at all. I am an actor, and my interests lie in entertaining my audience. Of course, I’d do my bit for the society, but I don’t know much about politics. My life is all about films, and when I’m not filming, I watch a lot of films, play with my kids, and go out on holidays,” said Mahesh.

The actor was also refreshingly candid about understanding the results of his films. “I take failures very personally because it is a reflection of my judgment. It’s like I have to blame myself, right? If I hadn’t said yes to the film, the failure wouldn’t have happened, right? And when a film doesn’t work, it makes a lot of people lose a lot of money, and that makes me all the more responsible. Also, I don’t do remakes,” said Mahesh, who has acted in just 28 films since he made his debut as a lead actor in 1999 with Rajakumarudu.

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“Of course, my first film was a success because of the love of my father’s (Late actor and superstar Krishna) fans. Being someone’s son can only give you the launch, but one requires talent to sustain and succeed. There was a huge pressure on me, especially since my subsequent films bombed. So, it all boils down to talent,” added the actor.

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