Baahubali to Bollywood? KJo, Sajid, Disney woo Rajamouli

Having delivered the biggest grosser of all time with Baahubali, S S Rajamouli is currently the most coveted filmmaker in India.

According to reports, the 41-year-old is now being wooed by some of the biggest producers in Bollywood.

Karan Johar, who distributed the dubbed Hindi version of Baahubali and made profits heftier than all the recent Johar/Dharma productions put together, has offered Rajamouli a sum close to Rs 20 crore to direct a Hindi film.

Other producers keen on signing on Rajamouli include Sajid Nadiadwala, Madhu Mantena (who has the remake rights of Rajamouli’s Magadheera) , Disney India's Siddharth Roy Kapur and Eros Entertainment’s Sunil Lulla.

A source close to the director says, “Raja is being chased by every important producer in Bollywood with staggeringly hefty remunerations.

“But he has never been swayed by money. He was offered the chance to direct Rowdy Rathore by producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali four years ago. But he was committed to doing Baahubali with Prabhas.

“Now he’s working on the sequel.”

Rajamouli himself has a rather self-effacing response to Baahubali's unprecedented box office success.

“All of us aspire to be successful. Becoming the biggest success is incidental.”

Image: SS Rajamouli. Photograph: Rajamouli/Facebook