Bahubali set to hit 4,000 screens on July 10

The film, made with a budget of over Rs 250 crore, will also be released across 135 screens in the US

The first instalment of the two-part multilingual movie Bahubali, the most expensive film ever made in India, is all set to hit the screens on Friday.

The sword-and-sandal genre movie, made with a budget of over  Rs 250 crore, will be released in over 4,000 screens worldwide, including more than 135 screens in the US. The second part is slated to be released in September this year.

Starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati as the protagonist and the antagonist, respectively, and Anushka Shetty and Tamannah playing the female leads,  Bahubali: The Beginning will be simultaneously released in Telugu and Tamil languages, and dubbed versions in Hindi and Malayalam. The Hindi version would be presented by director Karan Johar.

“I have grown up reading and listening to folklore, historical events and the Indian mythology. The two-part Bahubali is inspired by Mahabharata,” says director SS Rajamouli (Makhi fame) who is known for creating larger-than-life characters.

Bahubali is a phenomenon that is all set to happen soon, noted author and screenwriter Chetan Bhagat recently tweeted. “I was simply amazed and astonished to see such magnificent visuals. Some actions and frameworks used in this project could only be seen in progressive Hollywood films,” said Amitabh Bachchan during a video chat with Rana Daggubati after watching a preview.

The story of Bahubali is all about two brothers clashing for control of a kingdom. While the soundtrack and background scores were composed by MM Keeravani, the visual effects department was supervised by National Award winner V Srinivas Mohan.

“Bahubali, the magnum opus of Rajamouli, will set a new benchmark for visual effects in the Indian film industry and will herald a new trend in global cinema. It is sure to do well at the box office,” says film analyst Mohan Diwakar.