Netflix comes forth with Baahubali: Before The Beginning

Continuing with its effort to penetrate into the Indian market, online streaming giant Netflix has confirmed that it would soon be releasing the prequel to the blockbuster franchise of Baahubali.

Baahubali: Before the Beginning will be an adaptation of Anand Neelakantan’s book, The Rise of Sivagami. The series will narrate the journey of Sivagami Devi and showcase the rise of the Mahishmati empire. The prequel will be co-directed by Deva Katta and Praveen Sattaru.

Director SS Rajamouli, who will also be a part of the project, exuded excitement over the same and said that partnering with Netflix would give them an opportunity to take a “rich and riveting” series to the world. “The World of Baahubali is extensive and immersive with strong characters and larger than life kingdoms. The films Baahubali -The Beginning and The Conclusion, are from one story set in this world and more dramatic stories were broadly conceived while building the Universe. The Baahubali Series, a prequel to the films, is one such story. I am very excited that this is being adapted as a Netflix Original Series,” he added.

“Baahubali is a world-class franchise that epitomizes the power of compelling stories that resonate globally. The series is a tremendous opportunity for us to give audiences more of the universe that they have come to love, and welcome millions more into the global Baahubali fandom,” Erik Barmack, vice-president, International Originals, Netflix, was quoted as saying.

The two films, which released in 2016 and 2017 respectively, took the box office by storm and succeeded in setting a new benchmark for filmmaking. The movies essayed the story of a battle for power between two brothers, with Prabhas and Rana Daggubati playing the respective leads.