The Untold Story of Netflix’s Shelved Baahubali Prequel

Netflix’s ambitious Baahubali: Before the Beginning was conceived as a prequel to the blockbuster Baahubali franchise, focusing on the journey of Sivagami and her rise to power in Mahishmati. Netflix officially announced the project in 2018, initially ordering two seasons, with the first season planned around Anand Neelakantan’s The Rise of Sivagami. Mrunal Thakur was originally cast as the younger Sivagami, while Deva Katta and Praveen Sattaru were attached to direct the series.

The project, however, went through several major creative changes. Reports said a substantial portion of the original version had already been filmed before Netflix decided to rework the series. Mrunal Thakur subsequently exited and Wamiqa Gabbi was brought in as Sivagami. The creative team also changed, with the project being reworked rather than released in its original form. Actor Bijay Anand later spoke about spending around two years on the cancelled series and said it had been filmed with different creative teams. The project ultimately failed to reach audiences and was shelved, turning one of Netflix India's most ambitious Baahubali projects into a costly unreleased production.