How Baahubali 2 became the biggest film of 2017: A look back at the SS Rajamouli film’s earth-shattering box office performance

Prabhas-Rana Daggubati starrer Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has crossed Rs 1700 crore collection till date.

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion created a storm at the box office and changed the way we look at our own films. Henceforth, Indian cinema can be divided into two eras – pre Baahubali and post Baahubali. This SS Rajamouli magnum opus made 2017 a historic year and we aren’t surprised. The film, which collected more than Rs 1700 crore (all versions), had a box office journey worth taking note. As they say, every drop counts. This Prabhas-Rana Daggubati starrer had the biggest opening and its Hindi version has become the highest grosser in Bollywood too.

Baahubali 2, the second and final installment in the bilingual franchise, came as a wakeup call for Bollywood. Of course, there were a lot of things that ensured that a regional film rose to the occasion and became the biggest one India has seen till date. It ensured that Bollywood filmmakers and we as the audience get a reality check around the status-quo we’ve been living in around our so-called superstars and the mega-budget films which are all about commercial business, where nobody complains if content and creativity become secondary.

Director SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali has become a reference point for Indian cinema.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh revealed over Twitter how Baahubali 2’s Hindi version kept its pace at the theaters and became a money-making machine. He gave a break-up for every 50-day run of this action-fantasy film right from its release earlier this year on April 28. He began by tweeting, “As the year 2017 draws to a close, let’s have a quick recap of how the BIGGEST HIT of 2017 [also the HIGHEST GROSSER of Hindi cinema] fared at the BO… #Baahubali2 is truly the #Baahubali of film biz…” Taran followed it up with the figures, which are as follows:

As the year 2017 draws to a close, let’s have a quick recap of how the BIGGEST HIT of 2017 [also the HIGHEST GROSSER of Hindi cinema] fared at the BO… #Baahubali2 is truly the #Baahubali of film biz… contd.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) December 27, 2017

#Baahubali2 [dubbed Hindi version] BENCHMARKS…
Crossed ₹ 50 cr: Day 2
₹ 100 cr: Day 3
₹ 150 cr: Day 4
₹ 200 cr: Day 6
₹ 250 cr: Day 8
₹ 300 cr: Day 10
₹ 350 cr: Day 12
₹ 400 cr: Day 15
₹ 450 cr: Day 20
₹ 475 cr: Day 24
₹ 500 cr: Day 34
India biz.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) December 27, 2017

Before we close 2017, let’s once again take a closer look at what really made Baahubali – BAAHUBALI!

Despite being made in Tamil and Telugu, and dubbed in Hindi, English and Malayalam, Baahubali stood like a wall for several big-ticket films across the country this year. Even its Hindi version alone gave the strongest competition to some of Bollywood’s biggest releases this year like Tubelight and Jagga Jasoos. Its ripple effect stopped other Hindi films from leaving any mark at the ticketing windows for months.

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion remained a juggernaut which refused to stay calm, and kept shattering records every second day. In its first four days, it crossed the lifetime collection of Baahubali: The Beginning’s Hindi version. While Baahubali 1 earned Rs 118.70 crore in its lifetime, the sequel collected Rs 168.25 crore in just four days. The film also had the highest first Monday ever collection, at Rs 40.25 crore. With this, it also smashed Aamir Khan’s Dangal and Salman Khan’s Sultan opening records. Even Tiger Zinda Hai fell short to outdo Baahubali 2’s opening numbers. All this, and we are only talking about its dubbed Hindi version. Believe it or not, it also became the first film to cross Rs 100 crore mark in one day. Baahubali 2 (all versions) earned Rs 121.5 crore on day one.

Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer Tiger Zinda Hai failed to overthrow Baahubali 2 on its opening day.

Also read | Bollywood can never make Baahubali. These five reasons explain why

Baahubali made a pan-India star out of a regional actor named Prabhas. For someone like Rana Daggubati who had only done forgettable roles in handful Hindi films till date, he doesn’t need to try any harder to now bag a meaty part in some big banner movie. Filmmakers are queuing up to sign Prabhas or Anushka Shetty for their Bollywood debut. They are also in complete awe of Rajamouli and others from the unit.

Baahubali 2 had Anushka Shetty and Ramya Krishnan playing strong women characters.

But Baahubali wasn’t made in one day. This team of creative stalwarts have taught an important lesson to Bollywood, the biggest filmmaking industry in the world. It taught the Hindi film fraternity, why its time we look beyond the Khans and Kapoors, and instead of giving them a major share in profits, need to divert that budget towards polishing our own films. This Telugu franchise gave us lessons on why a film can have equally strong women characters, can be absolutely story-driven, can give references to our mythology and even take us back to our Indian roots.

We hope that Bollywood will shed its glossy image and come out of its comfort zone to give us films which stand at par with Baahubali. But, this surely looks bleak in the coming years, or maybe a decade. It took 5 years to give us Baahubali. Can any other artiste risk so much of their life and career? We have our reference point, our benchmark. Indian film industry is indebted to Baahubali. We say – Jai Mahishmati!