For those who have seen Bahubali, the waterfall sequence is one which defines the storyline. But how many know that the crucial scene which takes the story forward has been shot at the Athirapally waterfalls?
For the director of the magnum opus S S Rajamouli, his tryst with Kerala started back in the 1980s when he went on a trip to Sabarimala. Says the filmmaker who was in Kerala recently, “I was in the train from Chennai. I dozed off in the meanwhile and when I woke up, I had reached Kerala. The greenery which I saw around was overwhelming.”
It was the only time the director has been to the pilgrim centre, he reminisces with a chuckle. However, since that Kerala has been a backdrop for a few of his movies. Says Rajamouli, “Kerala is one of the best places to shoot from a filmmaker’s point of view. There is no dearth of good locations. But it was during a trip to Valparai that I heard about the Athirapally waterfalls. After seeing the falls, I knew I had to use this for the film.” He elaborates more on his Kerala connect, “One of my cousins married a Malayali from Telicherry. The experience I have each time I come to Kerala is magical.”
Stating that those waiting for the second part won’t be disappointed, the director adds that he knows expectations are skyrocketing. “But it makes me more invigorated that stressed. When I start thinking about a story, I don’t keep any limits. The challenging part comes in executing the ideas,” he says. On Bahubali being nominated for various awards, Rajamouli states, “I am not an enthusiast of awards, rather I try to avoid award functions.” On his highly touted project ‘Garuda’, the self-confessed fan of Mohanlal said that nothing has been finalised.