Mahesh Babu, SS Rajamouli Brainstorming A Rebrand For SSMB29?

Mahesh Babu has just seen through the release of his Trivikram Srinivas directorial, Guntur Kaaram. The film, despite underperforming at the box office from the standards of a Mahesh Babu film, has still managed to mint impressive numbers. The pre-production work for his next with SS Rajamouli, tentatively titled SSMB29, has kickstarted with a major update now coming through.

SSMB29 to undergo a rebrand?

Despite just being in its initial stages of production, SSMB29 has become one of the most anticipated projects, currently in the works. To accelerate the hype surrounding the film, actor-director duo Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli are reportedly brainstorming a complete rebrand for the film. The inspiration for the same, is SS Rajamouli's legacy of box office biggies - namely, the Baahubali franchise and Academy Award winning film RRR.

As per a recent Gulte report, Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli are reportedly wanting to rename the film's tentative title along the lines of #MR01. Mahesh Babu will also be required to undergo a body transformation for the film, for which he will soon be undertaking intense workshops, running into months. The actor also recently returned from a visit to Germany, wherein he was training with his doctor (and trainer) Dr. Harry Koenig.

What is inspiring the alleged SSMB29 rebrand?

At the time of the release of Baahubali's first installment, the cliff-hanger of a climax led to the hashtag WhyKattappaKilledBaahubali? to trend indefinitely. This became the crux of the franchise's second film, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which is still among the highest grossing Indian films ever made, globally.

The same tactic per se, was used for RRR. The catchy acronym became the identity of the film, something that immensely aided its international campaign ahead of the Oscars, not to mention the frenzy it created on home ground.