This 2015 movie kept viewers guessing for two years after introducing them to cliffhanger endings
Devoted moviegoers had a thrilling and suspenseful period between 2015 and 2017, all while the nation wondered why Katappa killed Baahubali. For a period of two years, the crew behind the 2015 blockbuster Baahubali kept this the best-kept secret.
The Indian public was not used to cliffhanger endings, but SS Rajamouli popularized them with the startling conclusion of Baahubali, in which we see Amarendra Baahubali’s most trusted buddy and confidante, Katappa, murder him by stabbing him in the back.
The sequence shocked the whole nation, all the more so since the movie concluded without explaining or giving any background on why the hero’s buddy would betray him. Baahubali: The Conclusion was supposed to carry on the plot, however, it took two full years for the follow-up to be published in 2017. Over the course of these two years, the question “Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?” went from being a minor online phenomenon to being a prominent topic of conversation on all major social media platforms, inspiring memes. Audiences exhaled with relief when the solution was eventually given in the sequel.
Despite having a budget of only Rs 165 crore, the first installment became the most profitable Telugu film ever, grossing a staggering Rs 650 crore globally. The sequel broke the record with a staggering collection of Rs 1810.5 crore, making it the highest-grossing Telugu movie ever as well as the second-highest-grossing Indian movie ever, after Dangal, starring Aamir Khan.
In addition to starring Rana Daggubati, Sathyaraj, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Nassar, and Tammanaah Bhatia, the Baahubali films have established Prabhas as a pan-Indian celebrity.
MM Keeravani, Rajamouli’s regular partner, wrote the soundtrack. In addition to Hindi, the movie was dubbed into every language spoken in South India. Netflix and Disney+Hotstar both provide streaming options for the Baahubali movies.
