SS Rajamouli Reveals Suriya’s Ghajini Inspired Him to Take Baahubali Pan-India

Director SS Rajamouli, widely credited with pioneering the ‘pan-India phenomenon’ through his epic Baahubali franchise, recently revealed that actor Suriya played a key role in inspiring him to take the leap. Speaking at the pre-release event for Kanguva, directed by Siva, in Hyderabad on Thursday evening, Rajamouli shared how Suriya’s work motivated him to broaden his horizons and envision films on a national scale.

“Suriya, You Are My Inspiration”:

Before SS Rajamouli took the stage at the pre-release event for Kanguva in Hyderabad, the organizers showcased a video highlighting how he pioneered the pan-India trend in cinema. However, Rajamouli humbly corrected the narrative, saying, “They just played an AV saying I started the pan-India trend, but let me tell you honestly— the real inspiration for me to take Telugu cinema beyond Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is Suriya.”

He went on to explain how Suriya’s approach to promoting his films over the years served as a major inspiration for him. “During the release of Ghajini, Suriya would travel to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to promote his films. I would often tell producers and actors that the way he built a connection with the Telugu audience was a perfect case study. I realized that we needed to take our films to other regions, to win over the Tamil audience as well. Suriya, you are the reason I started thinking about the pan-India film market,” Rajamouli shared.

Rajamouli also revealed that he and Suriya had once planned to collaborate on a film, but the project never materialized. “We were supposed to work together on a film, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I remember Suriya once saying that it was a missed opportunity for him. But honestly, it’s I who missed the chance to work with him, and I regret it. I have so much admiration for him—his on-screen presence, his acting. What I respect most is that he chose to follow a story rather than just a filmmaker,” he shared.

However, Suriya responded humbly, saying, “In a family, when the elder sibling does well, the entire family benefits because they show the way. This journey started a long time ago, sir. I shamelessly admit that I missed the train. I’m still standing at the railway station, and I hope that one day, I’ll catch it.