'The first day Shraddha Kapoor spoke Telugu, I was shocked': Prabhas opens up on 'Saaho' and more

Prabhas has been jet-setting to different cities to promote his upcoming action thriller, Saaho. The film, which was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Hindi marks the 39-year-old actor’s debut in Bollywood. The day (rather, the night) we met, he had just finished filming for a reality show. Though he was a little fatigued, the Baahubali star never showed it and answered every question candidly — be it the immense pressure that he is under for Saaho, which comes after the massive success of his mythical period dramas that made him a national hero, wedding rumours or his link-up with South actress Anushka Shetty. Over to Prabhas...

Saaho is being touted as one of the biggest action films with a budget of Rs 350 crore. Did the success of Baahubali scale it up?

Yes, it was after Baahubali that the designing and the scale of Saaho become big; but the idea was in place earlier when Baahubali was being filmed in Telugu and Tamil. Even the script was ready. But after the success of the period drama, the action scenes were mounted up, the set-up was made bigger, and corrections were made to make the story stronger. 

Was it your decision to start the film only after Baahubali 2?

Actually, after part one, we decided to take a gap of six months during which I thought we will shoot for Saaho because I knew Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) will take one-and-a-half years. But after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), I was so tired. I also felt it wouldn’t be good to shoot for a couple of months, stop and restart because, in between, I’d have to shoot for Baahubali 2. I cannot do the (different) looks or shoot them because I know the way it goes. And as I said, I needed some rest, so we decided to shoot after Baahubali 2.

Between the two action films, which one did you find more challenging?

Baahubali was definitely more challenging. Saaho is a contemporary film and the action scenes are designed to the next level. But in the former, everything was new. I always wanted to do a period film and the most exciting part was the war. In Saaho, the action is real. The truck that you see sliding in the trailer is real, it is not CG (computer graphics). That vehicle was travelling at a speed of 40 miles per hour and we needed to stop it. That stunt had to be done in real motion and it was extremely hard to stop the truck because the tyre was out of control. So, we got the drivers from the Hollywood film Transformers, and a lot of action and stunt masters from around the world to get that real feel.

Are you the kind who does all the stunts himself?

I do most of the stunts myself. When I was new to the industry, I was very enthusiastic and wanted to do all the stunts even those not captured by the camera, including the dupe shots! Later, when you start getting injuries, you think, okay, you’ll do what is necessary. I have done a lot of action films in Telugu, so, after some time, your body tells you that you need to be careful. 

Saaho will be an acid-test for you coming on the back of Baahubali and it’s also your debut Hindi film.

Yes. I know. There is a lot of pressure on me, but the script is the master for any film, even for Baahubali. Also, because Saaho is releasing in so many languages, and the budget is so high. Sujeeth (director) worked for so many years on it. He and the producer are my friends, so it’s also a personal thing. 

It was reported that you took a 20 per cent pay cut for Saaho...

Yes, because for films like Baahubali or Saaho, you can’t take whatever remuneration you get when you’re in demand. That part can instead be used to make the film bigger. These films require a huge budget and a lot of research because they haven’t been tried before.

How was the experience of filming it?

It was interesting because my friends were involved and they took a lot of care with details. Sujeeth is young and excited with fresh thoughts. He spent a lot of time on the film’s pre-production — on the script and planning. I think it was great of him to manage big names from the South like Sabu Cyril, Madhie sir and Sreekar Prasad in his second film, with such a high budget. There were (internal) fights but he managed so well, he never fought or showed his anger.

Prabhas (Pic: Ashwini Sawant/DNA)

While you make your debut in Hindi, Shraddha Kapoor forays into the South with this film. Did you help each other?

The first day Shraddha spoke Telugu, I was shocked. She must have practised but still she was so good. She was excited about shooting the Telugu portion because it was new for her. The same thing happened to me while shooting Baahubali in Tamil because that was a first for me and it brings new energy. While filming Saaho, I used to ask several times whether my flow and accent in Hindi is right because words can be corrected later in dubbing, but the flow has to be right. I had a Hindi tutor, Kamal sir from Mumbai on sets and even during the dubbing.

Was it difficult to shoot simultaneously in different languages?

Yes, it was strenuous. I have been doing films for the past 16-17 years, where after you give a shot and it’s okay, you are done. But here you have to do it again in different languages and it becomes strenuous for actors and technicians because you have to capture the whole mood again. Sometimes, it’s that spark, which you get once. I am not a many take actor, I get done in a couple of shots, so it was stressful for me.

The film was to release on August 15 but was pushed by two weeks. Are you happy with the shift?

I’m happy because quality can’t be compromised, especially for a film one was working on for so many years. I understand it is not right for the business, and also for other films, which had to shift their releases because they already had plans. It is wrong from our side but for the quality of the film, I don’t mind.

Do you like doing action movies?

I like to do action as well as love stories. In Telugu, my favourite film is Geetanjali (1989) in which there is absolutely no action, not even a slap.

What would you like to do next?

I want to do a romantic movie or romcom after Saaho. But I will plan once the movie releases and I know the result.

You have had hits and flops in your career. How do you deal with it?

My first two films did not do well and I thought I will never get a hit. However, offers were pouring in and I got a big blockbuster. But then there was a phase when for three years my films were disasters. That was the hardest time. Then I had two hits and a flop. Next, Mirchi was a hit, Baahubali happened and the last four years have been really good. Now, after Saaho, let’s see...

Every time your film is up for release, there are rumours about your marriage, and there has been talk about you and Anushka Shetty dating each other...

I know there have been a lot of rumours since the last four years. Once I was linked to a politician, whom I had never met. That was one of the most hateful rumours, it was irritating. Anushka and I are friends and when we did Baahubali, we worked for four years together. People liked the love story and Devsena (her character). It is common to get linked with your co-star. But you cannot hide something like this for two years. And, why should we hide if there is something?