What is saving Prabhas after all these years?

Amongst all the stars in the Telugu film industry, the career graph of Prabhas, in all its ups and downs, makes for a rather unprecedented and unique case for a host of reasons.

The actor had the biggest hit of his career with the Baahubali films, which has skyrocketed his career to newer and greater heights. While Prabhas was a top actor since he started out in the industry, he became a household name across the country overnight, with his portrayal of Amarendra and Mahendra Baahubali firmly etching its legacy in the canon of Indian cinema. Prabhas has not only become a humongous star in his own right, producers have also begun to associate his name and brand with earth-shattering box-office records.

However, things have not been so rosy for the rebel star post-Baahubali. The actor became adventurous with his scripts, choosing novel, larger-than-life ideas and maverick filmmakers.

While Saaho, Radhe Shyam and Adipurush were met with negative reception, they did manage to recover their investments. Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD on the other hand, fared slightly better, compared to Prabhas’ first three releases after Baahubali 2.

It is important to note that all five films the actor featured in, opened to massive numbers in the opening day and weekend, irrespective of their critical reception and overall popularity. Prabhas was the one name that drew people to the theatres, not the stories or the filmmakers involved with these respective films.

That said, none of Prabhas’ films that released after Baahubali 2 are memorable in the eyes of the audience long after the movie release. The actor’s dreamy looks, his boy-next-door persona as well as the trademark dialogue delivery that cemented his stardom went missing in the films that came out in the recent times. Prabhas has also been struggling with his physical health and his more recent films have not featured him prominently.

Now, these are not small issues. Any other actor who has lost his physique over the years would have seen their star value crash and burn. They would not get more films, audience would not love them as they once did. They would slowly fade into obscurity. But that has never been the case with Prabhas.

Prabhas’ fanbase continues to be fanatically loyal, irrespective of the changes in his life or his persona. His fanbase is always rooting for him, cheering for the littlest of his wins, ensuring that he is always loved and remembered well. The actor’s goodwill amongst the industry and the general public is also rock solid, with people respecting him immensely for his humble and open-hearted demeanour. Last but not the least, the impact of his role in Baahubali stands tall, keeping his stardom flying high.