Filmmaker SS Rajamouli took a break from shooting for ‘Varanasi’ and traveled to France to interact with fans and share new details about ‘Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1’.The director, who is critically acclaimed for his film RRR, was speaking at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 in France and explained why the franchise is taking a leap into animation after two successful films, Baahubali and Baahubali: The Conclusion.
SS Rajamouli addresses fans at Annecy 2026
Speaking at the event, Rajamouli spoke about the expansion of the “Baahubali” universe and its deep-rooted connection with Indian mythology, saying at the event, “Everyone knows that Baahubali is very much inspired by Indian mythology. The plot of Indian mythology is huge, vast and never-ending.
SS Rajamouli on the idea behind Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1
The director went on to share his “secret”, saying, “So, there was no way that what we chose to do was that the core characterization, code culture is still deeply rooted in India, but we chose a visual language that is universal. No matter where a section of the audience sees the film, they can relate to it immediately.”Looking back on the success of the original Baahubali film, he explained that the creative team expanded the series through comics and animated series, but felt they had yet to achieve the impact of the live-action film. That changed when director Ishan Shukla came up with an idea to explore “What would happen if Amarendra Baahubali (after death) entered the 14 realms of Hindu mythology?”
SS Rajamouli talks about making Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1 into an animated film
Calling it “just the kind of impact we needed to continue making the Baahubali franchise the way it was originally produced,” Rajamouli said, adding, “Unfortunately, in India, animation is seen as a children’s thing. [medium]nothing more. We were thinking, what to do? So here comes the possibility: why do we only see India as a market? We will take it to the world stage. We will do this in the best way possible.“He added that the team brought together some of the industry’s top creative talents and animation studios to realize Shukla’s vision. “Whatever good idea Ishan Shukla comes up with, we need to give it the best possible shape… and started working on Eternal War,” he said.
Japanese studio joins Eternal War Part 1
According to Variety, Studio Khara, the famous Japanese animation studio best known for the “Neon Genesis Evangelion” series, has joined the upcoming animated feature “Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1” to create dedicated animation sequences for the film.The partnership is facilitated by Japanese production company SlowCurve, which will oversee planning and production coordination between Japanese and international creative teams.
Prabhas returns as Baahubali
Returning to the world of Baahubali, Prabhas will be reprising his role from the live-action film, voicing the voice of Amarendra Baahubali. Ramya Krishnan also returns to voice Sivagami. Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani, who has scored the music for “RRR” and the original “Baahubali” film, is composing the music for the animated feature.
“Baahubali: The Eternal War Part 1” plot details
Set against the backdrop of the gripping finale of Baahubali: The Beginning, the film tells the story of betrayed and murdered prince Amarendra Baahubali as he enters the afterlife, where he finds himself embroiled in an ancient cosmic war between the gods and asuras. He travels across 14 realms of existence, forms an unexpected alliance, and fights to restore balance to the universe.
SS Rajamouli meets fans
After the event, SS Rajamouli was spotted resting outside the event. There, he was seen taking time to greet fans, sign autographs, and even pose for selfies. In the video posted online, fans walked up to the director and shared their love for his work in films like “Baahubali” and “RRR”.
