For years, speculation has surrounded Baahubali, one of India’s biggest film franchises, with fans wondering whether Hrithik Roshan was originally approached for the lead role. Now, producer Shobu Yarlagadda has addressed the long-standing rumour, putting the speculation to rest.
Producer Shobu Yarlagadda clears Hrithik Roshan Baahubali casting rumours: “It was always Prabhas”
In a recent interview with Gulte, Yarlagadda clarified that Prabhas was always the first and only choice to play the iconic character. “There’s one more thing that I’ll only bring up because I see all this online chatter — that we asked Hrithik and all that for Prabhas’ role in Baahubali. That never happened. From Day 1, it was Prabhas,” he said.
He further explained that the character of Baahubali was written with Prabhas in mind from the very beginning. No auditions or offers were made to any other actors.
SS Rajamouli on the Hrithik Roshan Comment
While Hrithik Roshan was never in the running for the role, Baahubali director SS Rajamouli has spoken about Hrithik in the past — and his comments once stirred controversy. Back in 2009, during a promotional event for Meher Ramesh’s Billa, Rajamouli had compared the two actors, saying: “When Dhoom 2 released two years ago, I wondered why only Bollywood can make such quality films. Don’t we have heroes like Hrithik Roshan? I just saw the songs, poster, and trailer of Billa, and I can only say one thing — Hrithik Roshan is nothing in front of Prabhas.”
The statement sparked debate at the time. However, Rajamouli later acknowledged that his choice of words was not appropriate. In a video shared by Reuters via ANI, the filmmaker said: “It was long, long back — I think some 15–16 years ago. But yes, my choice of words wasn’t good, I must admit. My intention was never to degrade him. I respect him a lot. It was a long time ago.”
Baahubali: The Epic Set for Theatrical Re-Release
Meanwhile, Baahubali fans have something to look forward to. Director SS Rajamouli is bringing the saga back to theatres with Baahubali: The Epic — a combined version of Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The theatrical re-release is scheduled for October 31. Adding to the buzz, both Baahubali films have recently been removed from Netflix, prompting speculation about whether this is part of the upcoming re-release strategy.
Whether fans align with Team Prabhas or have admired the idea of Hrithik Roshan in the role, one thing is certain — Baahubali remains a cultural phenomenon, continuing to spark conversation and curiosity years after its original release.
More Pages: Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion Box Office Collection , Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion Movie Review
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