Here’s How SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali Killed Smaller Movies

I still remember asking my friends if they would like to watch Rajkummar Rao’s Newton in theatres and their unanimous response was “Chhor na yaar, OTT pe dekh lenge”.

Well, the movie recovered its budget and was also a critical success, but I really did not foresee the amplification of the statement that was about to hit post-pandemic. Even after the pandemic, the fate of smaller films like Newton didn’t change.

Well-made drama films like Satyaprem Ki Katha and JugJugg Jeeyo also struggled to churn out big profits. Suddenly, everyone seemed to be chasing the ‘mass actioner’ trend, treating it as the ultimate formula for box office success. As a result, the drama genre, which once gave birth to fresh, heartfelt, and innovative stories, started to fade into the background, losing its space in mainstream cinema.

I backtracked the box office verdicts of some of the big movies and noticed a paradigm shift in the scale of all the successful movies after Baahubali.

I even talked to some of my cinegoer friends who said that if they are spending a good amount of money in cinemas, then they expect to watch a visual epic like Baahubali.

Then it hit me!

There has been a definite shift in the audience’s perception of ‘cinema’ post-Baahubali.

Here are three reasons why SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali almost killed small-scale movies.

1. Shift in Audience Expectations

Post-Baahubali, audiences began expecting grand visuals, massive action sequences, and larger-than-life stories from mainstream Indian films.

Small-budget, content-driven films struggled to grab attention as viewers prioritised spectacle over subtle storytelling.

2. Industry Obsession with Scale

Producers and studios began chasing pan-India blockbusters, focusing more on scale, VFX, and action than on unique scripts or grounded narratives.

Budgets were diverted toward high-stakes action spectacles, leaving little room for smaller projects.

3. Theatres Prioritising Big Films

Multiplexes and single-screen theatres began reserving screens and longer runs for large-scale films with ‘event status.’

Smaller films faced limited releases, poor show timings, and early removals, directly hurting their box office chances.

4. Rise of ‘Pan-India’ Over Regional Cinema

The post-Baahubali wave pushed every filmmaker to create ‘pan-India’ films, overshadowing many regional gems that thrived in their own markets before. Niche, rooted stories got ignored in the chase for mass appeal.

Baahubali Returns?

Baahubali was an important film for India and as it completes 10 years, SS Rajamouli has announced Baahubali: The Epic, which will hit theatres on October 31.

Baahubali: The Epic will combine both the instalments where Shivudu travels to Mahishmati in order to free his mother, who was held captive by Bhallaldev, Shivudu’s uncle.