Netflix had announced in August 2018 about working on a prequel to Baahubali with Arka Media Works, the producers of the Baahubali franchise.
Titled Baahubali: Before the Beginning, the web series is a two-season affair. It stars Mrunal Thakur (Super 30, Batla House) as Sivagami and Rahul Bose (Bulbbul, Pyaar Ke Side Effects) and Atul Kulkarni (Rang De Basanti, Chandni Bar) in pivotal roles.
It will be based on The Rise of Sivagami, an Indian historical fiction novel written by Anand Neelakantan. Released in 2017, the book acts as a prequel to the film Baahubali: The Beginning.
Baahubali: Before the Beginning follows the story of Sivagami as she grows to become a wise Queen from a defiant and resentful girl. She comes of age at around the same time when the Kingdom of Mahishmati rises from being a city-state to an influential empire.
Netflix and Arka Media Works have now announced that they are working on re-imagining the series with a new creative approach. Their vision is to do justice to the Baahubali franchise by recreating the grandeur of the fictional Kingdom of Mahishmati.
In an official statement, Netflix said:
“Baahubali is one of India’s most beloved stories. To bring this universe to life in the scale and manner it deserves, we’re re-envisioning the story along with our amazing partners. Together we want to make sure we do justice to the expansive vision, depth of storytelling, and complex characters.”
Earlier, the web series was scheduled to be released in November 2019. Mrunal Thakur had even wrapped up shooting for the first season sometime late August last year.
In a previous Instagram post, Rahul Bose captioned an announcement of him and Mrunal Thakur joining as leads of Netflix’s prequel web series as:
“Now you know why I’ve been hurling that truck tyre across the city.”
Also read: Serious Men: Netflix’s new film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui