After Adipurush, does Prabhas need to exercise caution while selecting films?

Prabhas, one of Telugu cinema’s biggest action heroes, emerged as a pan-India star with Baahubali 2 (2017). The period drama received rave reviews from most critics and set the box office on fire. Prabhas’ subsequent releases Saaho (2019), Radhe Shyam (2022) and Adipurush (2023), however, did not live up to the standards set by SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus.

This has led to a perception that the star, who will next be seen in Salaar, needs to exercise caution while selecting films. So, is this point of view justified? The answer is a simple one.

3 thing you need to know

• Prabhas was last seen in Adipurush.
• The teaser of his next film Salaar will be released on Thursday, July 6. 
• Prabhas has been a pan-India star since Baahubali 2. 

It's all about the money

It would have made absolute sense to dissect Prabhas’ choices had they affected his stardom. This, luckily, is not the case. One got strong proof of his ability to pull a crowd to theatres when Adipurush grossed an astonishing Rs 140 crore at the worldwide box office despite the fact that that it came after Radhe Shyam and Saaho.

(A still from Saaho | Image: UV Creations/Twitter)

The Darling actor’s stardom also helped it hold over the weekend despite negative word of mouth and controversies around the film. Similarly, Salaar remains one of the most talked about films of the year despite the underwhelming critical response to Adipurush. 

Should Prabhas opt for better scripts?

The star vehicle has been the pillar of commercial cinema since decades. For those not familiar with the term, it refers to a form of storytelling in which pretty much everything serves the sole purpose of building an aura around the ‘hero’. Zanjeer (1971), Bobbili Puli (1982) and Baashha (1995) are examples of this ‘genre’  across different decades and languages. While Prabhas’ last three films have received mixed reviews, the fact remains that they worked well as star vehicles.

(Prabhas' last three releases were 'star vehicles' | Credit: Republic)

Take Saaho for instance. The Sujeeth directorial featured everything right from punchlines and action sequences that tried to utilise Prabhas’ stardom. This helped it cater to ‘die-hard fans’. The same applies to Radhe Shyam and Saaho. Since star power and not content is the defining characteristic of this brand of storytelling, the whole discussion around the quality of script in question does not serve a purpose.

He isn’t in an image trap

Mass heroes often fall victim to what is called the ‘image trap’ and end up playing the same character over and over again. Even the legendary Amitabh Bachchan is not an exception to this. He essentially played the ‘angry young man’ in films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Trishul. Prabhas, despite the criticism coming his way, has consciously tried to experiment with his image by dabbling in different genres.

(Prabhas played Lord Ram in Adipurush (Image: Prabhas/Instagram)

Saaho was an action-thriller while Radhe Shyam was a romantic drama. Adipurush, meanwhile, was a mythological drama based on The Ramayana. Clearly trying something new within the confines of commercial cinema can hardly be called wrong. 

Putting stardom to use

Prabhas is using his post-Baahubali stardom to open new avenues for up and coming filmmakers. Saaho helped Sujeeth, who had previously helmed Run Raja Run, go pan-India. The film, irrespective of its fate, indirectly helped him bag the Pawan Kalyan-led OG. Similarly, Radhe Shyam and Adipurush helped Radha Krishna Kumar and Om Raut, respectively, scale new heights. 

Prabhas vs who?

The biggest fact in favour of Prabhas’ strategy is the virtual lack of competition. In some ways, he is the only actor, among his contemporaries, to do multiple pan-India films back to back. The fact that they opened well further consolidated his standing. While it is true that others actors too have given the pan-India space a shot, the reality remains that they have a long way to go before they can measure upto Prabhas on this front. 

The actor, meanwhile, will be hoping to consolidate his standing further with Salaar. The film’s teaser will be released on Thursday, July 6. It is directed by KGF helmer Prashanth Neel and will open in theatres on September 28.