If not Prabhas, I would have made four films: Maruthi

Once upon a time, Maruthi was famous for making small budget films. Movies like Ee Rojullo and Bus Stop made him a popular director in Tollywood because he focused more on the story than on big stars or huge budgets. Even when he directed films like Bhale Bhale Magadivoy and Mahanubhavudu, which had well-known actors, he still managed to keep the budgets low and finish the movies quickly.

But things have changed now. Maruthi is directing Prabhas, who became a national sensation with "Baahubali" and is known for his big-budget films that take a long time to make. When Prabhas and Maruthi teamed up, many expected Maruthi to stick to his usual low-budget approach. However, it's Prabhas who influenced Maruthi's strategy this time.

In the past, Maruthi and his team reportedly made Eerojullo on a budget of around ₹30 lakhs and earned crores in profits at the box office. But now, for Prabhas' film Rajasaab, which Maruthi is directing, they reportedly spent nearly ₹4 crores for just four days of shooting. Maruthi remarked, "If it wasn't for a Prabhas film, I could have made 2-3 films with this budget, or at least one film in a single day's budget." He also hinted at the tentative budget for "Rajasaab."

Maruthi announced that they would begin promoting Rajasaab once the buzz around Kalki 2898 AD subsided. Until then, there wouldn't be any updates about the Prabhas-Maruthi collaboration.

Meanwhile, the collaboration between Prabhas and Maruthi has left fans wondering if Prabhas has changed Maruthi's filmmaking approach. While Maruthi was known for his pragmatic, low-budget style, his work with Prabhas on Rajasaab has seen a significant departure from this norm. However, whether this shift will compromise Maruthi's signature storytelling style or open up new creative avenues remains to be seen.

-by Vishnupriya