SS Rajamouli Unveils Baahubali's Mythological Afterlife

At the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, director Ishan Shukla and producer SS Rajamouli provided new details on the animated spinoff, 'Baahubali: The Eternal War.' Rajamouli expressed high hopes for this project, aiming to capture the franchise's impact after previous animated attempts fell short. The film's central concept, conceived by Shukla, follows Baahubali into the afterlife, engaging in an eternal conflict across Indian mythology's 14 realms between the Devas and Asuras.

Shukla's inspiration for the 14 realms came from a mural he encountered during his four-year spiritual sojourn at a monastery in Gujarat. He was approached by producer Shobu Yarlagadda after Yarlagadda saw Shukla's animated feature 'Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust,' recognizing his talent for scale and character development. Despite initial hesitation due to his distinct artistic style, Shukla found common ground in the project's extensive world-building.

A significant creative challenge involved translating Prabhas' portrayal of Baahubali into animation, requiring careful stylization to avoid a video game aesthetic. The team meticulously iterated to ensure the animated character resonated with Prabhas' fans, a process described as painstaking. The mythology's complexity, beyond initial comparisons to 'The Lord of the Rings,' demanded deep dives into the symbolic meaning of each element across the 14 realms.

Production is currently progressing at full scale, with hundreds of characters, creatures, and environments being developed across multiple realms. CGI supervisor Simon Brown confirmed the extensive work. The film is slated for completion in the latter half of 2027, with plans to return to Annecy in 2027 to present additional footage.