Prabhas: I needed to cut down on my remuneration for Radhe Shyam and Saaho

Call it the Baahubali effect, but when a Prabhas-starrer is set to hit theatres, expectations skyrocket. The actor is currently gearing up for the release of his next, Radhe Shyam. During a recent interaction with mid-day, Prabhas was asked about the most difficult aspect of becoming a pan-India celebrity. 

The actor told the tabloid that choosing the ideal pan-India script was the most difficult element. Only three films from the South Indian industry have been pan-India hits so far: Baahubali, KGF: Chapter 1 and Pushpa. Prabhas shared that they will make more of these flicks in the future. However, it is difficult to crack at first. They will have to wait four to five years to get there.

The start, if you can call it that, has been promising. If SS Rajamouli's magnum opus focused solely on South cinema, Allu Arjun's Pushpa made the cash registers ring at a time when Hindi films were trying to find a foothold in theatres due to the pandemic. But Prabhas does not regard Arjun as a competitor, but rather as an ally in achieving a larger goal. 

The actor said that in Pushpa, Allu did an outstanding job. Although the national focus has only recently begun, he believes it is already too late. Indian cinema has been around for a century. Now they must achieve much more; they must compete with the world's largest film industries.

One film at a time, Prabhas aspires to realise his dream. For the time being, his focus is on Radhe Shyam, which stars Pooja Hegde as the female lead. After his big-budget projects, the love story is a welcome change of pace. 

Prabhas revealed that post-Baahubali, he was approached with a slew of large projects. He did, however, want to be a part of a love story, as commercial considerations must also be considered. For Radhe Shyam and Saaho, Prabhas had to reduce his budget and pay. With these films, they intend to set a higher standard. As a result, he must take action on their behalf. He would like to see himself in big-budget films like Adipurush, but he would also like to do new things.