Baahubali: The Beginning

Baahubali: The Beginning is a 2015 Indian epic action film co-written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli, and produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under Arka Media Works. Produced in the Telugu film industry, the film was shot in both Telugu and Tamil languages. It features Prabhas in a dual role alongside Rana Daggubati, Anushka, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, and Nassar. The first of a duology of films, it follows Sivudu, an adventurous young man who helps his love Avantika rescue Devasena, the princess of Kunthala who is now a prisoner under the tyrannical rule of king Bhallaladeva. The story concludes in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).

The film's story was written by Rajamouli's father V. Vijayendra Prasad, who told him a story about Sivagami, a woman who carries a baby in her hand while crossing a river, and a few years later about Kattappa, which intrigued Rajamouli. His fascination with Mahabharata and the tales of Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama further fueled his interest in the story. It took the writers three months to complete the final draft. The soundtrack and background score were composed by M. M. Keeravani, while cinematography, production design, and visual effects (VFX) were handled by K. K. Senthil Kumar, Sabu Cyril, and V. Srinivas Mohan.

The film was made on a budget of ₹170 crore ($26.4 million), making it the most expensive Indian film at its time of release. The film opened worldwide on 10 July 2015 along with the dubbed versions in Hindi and Malayalam. It received national and international acclaim for Rajamouli's direction, story, visual effects, cinematography, themes, action sequences, music, and performances, and became a record-breaking box office success. With a worldwide box office gross of ₹600–650 crore, it became the highest-grossing Telugu film and the second highest-grossing Indian film worldwide at the time of its release. It is currently the sixth highest-grossing Telugu film of all time. At the time of its release, it also became the highest-grossing Tamil film at the time of its release. Its Hindi dubbed version also broke several records by becoming the highest-grossing dubbed film in Hindi of all time. Both budget and box office records have since been surpassed by Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, the highest-grossing film in India of all time.

Baahubali: The Beginning along with its successor, is widely regarded as one of the most influential films of Indian cinema. It became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony, including Best Fantasy Film and Best Supporting Actress. It received several accolades such as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, and the National Award for Best Special Effects. It won five awards from ten nominations, including Best Telugu Film, Best Director – Telugu for Rajamouli, and Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for Ramya Krishna respectively, at the 63rd Filmfare Awards South. A combined recut version of The Beginning and The Conclusion, titled Baahubali: The Epic, was theatrically released worldwide on 31 October 2025.

Plot

An injured middle-aged woman (Shivagamini Devi) emerges from a cave underneath a giant waterfall, carrying an infant. While trying to cross a raging river, she is swept away by the current. Facing imminent death, the woman holds the baby aloft and prays to Lord Shiva to protect the child, Mahendra Baahubali, for the sake of his birth mother and the kingdom of Mahishmati. The tribesmen of Amburi rescue the child and the chieftain's wife, Sanga, adopts him, naming him Sivudu.

Sivudu grows up to be an ambitious and mischievous man, obsessed with ascending the waterfall despite Sanga's restraints. He exhibits superhuman strength by lifting the Shiva Lingam and placing it at the foot of the waterfall, where he finds a face mask that falls from above. Realising that the mask belongs to a beautiful woman, he is determined to find its owner. With the same resolution, he successfully climbs the waterfall and discovers that the mask belongs to Avantika, a warrior woman belonging to a resistance group dedicated to rescuing Devasena, the captive princess, from the despotic king of Mahishmati, Bhallaladeva.

He overhears the group talking about Kattappa, who is known to be a good man, but is a slave who is bound to the throne and is loyal to the king despite despising him. Kattappa saves Bhallaladeva from a bull, and as his reward, asks Bhallaladeva to free Devasena - however, Bhalladeva refuses, insisting that Devasena must stay as his prisoner until she dies.

Smitten with Avantika, Sivudu pledges to fulfil her cause and sets out for Mahishmati. He infiltrates the kingdom disguised as a guard during the festivities of Bhallaladeva's birthday, where he rescues people from being crushed by Bhallaladeva's enormous golden statue. An elderly slave recognises him to be Baahubali and chants the name. Eventually, everyone at the celebration chants Baahubali's name, enraging Bhallaladeva. On the same night, Sivudu distracts Bhallaladeva and escapes from the city with Devasena, with Bhallaladeva's son Bhadra and Kattappa in pursuit.

They find Shivudu and ambush them. After seeing Bhadra torture Devasena, Shivudu breaks free and a fight breaks out. The members of her resistance group and the people of Amburi tribe, led by a worried Sanga, arrive at the scene. Sivudu beheads Bhadra to their shock and Devasena's glee. Kattappa, upon seeing Sivudu's face, falls at his feet and proclaims him to be Baahubali. Everyone bows to Sivudu, confusing him. Sivudu confronts Kattappa, demaning to know who he is. Kattappa reveals that he is the son of Amarendra Baahubali, the beloved warrior prince of Mahishmati, and the woman who died protecting him as an infant is the queen regent Sivagami Devi. He starts narrating the story.

Fifty years ago, King Vikramadeva of Mahishmati dies unexpectedly. When the kingdom is in dissarray, Sivagami, the wife of Vikramadeva's physically disabled elder brother, Bijjaladeva, takes the reigns of the kingdom herself. Bijjaladeva, who was denied the throne due to his wicked nature, desires to declare his infant son Bhallaladeva as the future king. However, Sivagami adopts Vikramadeva's orphaned infant, Amarendra Baahubali, and decides to raise him along with Bhallaladeva as her own son, with the intent of choosing the most efficient prince as the next king - this displeases Bijjaladeva. The princes grow up to be formidable warriors and are educated in all matters of ruling a kingdom. Bhallaladeva has retained the power-hungry nature of his father, while Baahubali is loved by the subjects of the kingdom.

Mahishmati faces threat from the savage tribe of Kalakeya, who lay siege to the kingdom. Bijjaladeva proposes that whoever repels the threat by murdering Inkoshi, the chieftain of Kalakeya, will be crowned as the King. As the battle begins, Baahubali uses innovative tactics to save any bystanders and inspires his soldiers to fight bravely for the kingdom while Bhallaladeva indiscriminately kills opponents and the captured subjects of Mahishmati. After Baahubali subdues Inkoshi, Bhallaladeva kills him and is expected to be crowned as the king, much to the displeasure of Kattappa and the people of Mahishmati. However, Sivagami announces Baahubali as the future king and Bhallaladeva as the Commander General, pointing out how he had shown his respect and saved his own people in the battle, whereas Bhalladeva had focused on the war alone.

Upon hearing about Amarendra Baahubali, Sivudu and his adoptive parents are awed desire to meet him, but Kattappa reveals that he was treacherously murdered. When Shivudu demands to know who had done it, Kattappa reveals that it was him who had killed Baahubali.

Cast

Production

Baahubali: The Beginning was produced in the Telugu film industry and filmed in both Telugu and Tamil languages simultaneously. Distant shots, however, were only shot in Telugu and dubbed in Tamil. As of July 2015, the film series was considered the most expensive in India.

Development

Director S. S. Rajamouli revealed that Baahubali is inspired by the epic Mahabharata. V. Vijayendra Prasad, the screenwriter and Rajamouli's father who wrote stories for most of Rajamouli's films, once again penned the story for Baahubali. Vijayendra Prasad revealed that Sivagami has shades of both Kunti and Kaikeyi while Devasena is a warrior like Sita. He further added that he sees Baahubali as the story of Sivagami and Devasena. He was also inspired by tales of Chandamama and Amar Chitra Katha comics.