After the success of Kalki 2898 AD, actor Prabhas is arguably in the strongest position of his career. He has several producers lined up with new projects, and audiences have shown more faith in his big screen presence. However, all of this is now at risk with the five films he has in his pipeline. The combined budget of these films is Rs 2100 crore, and it is up to Prabhas to find a way to justify this huge amount of money hanging on his shoulders.

The first time he impressed the pan-India audience, especially in the northern market, was when he gave a stellar performance in Baahubali: The Beginning. While the success was due to SS Rajamouli’s life-size direction and the curiosity created by the story, Prabhas’s stunning screen presence did not go unnoticed. And he later did the unimaginable with Baahubali: The Conclusion. This film did for Prabhas what no other film could do for any other actor in the history of Indian cinema. It established him as a legitimate crowd puller across India, in all languages.

The real work began after the massive success of Baahubali 2. Prabhas had to maintain this newfound popularity and keep the faith of the audience. Some of his films after the Baahubali series did not impress much, but with Kalki 2898 AD, he came back stronger than ever. As per a trade website report SaconilcThe actor’s next film Saaho, which was made on a budget of Rs 350 crore, grossed Rs 310 crore in India. Radhe Shyam, which was made on a net budget of Rs 200 crore, grossed around Rs 104.38 crore in its lifetime run. And Adipurush, which was also a huge critical failure, ended up grossing only Rs 288.15 crore while the film was allotted a budget of Rs 700 crore. None of these films even came close to their budgets until Kalki 2898 AD.

Released earlier this year, the Nag Ashwin directorial became a huge phenomenon worldwide, grossing over Rs 1000 crore at the box office. The film was both critically and commercially acclaimed and gave Prabhas fans another chance to celebrate him as the most revered hero of all time. But, history is now going to repeat itself. Prabhas is at the same crossroads again. He will have to make the same risky choices once again. To do or not to do!

The pan-India star has got five big films lined up which have already been announced. According to trade reports, the actor’s next film, The Raja Saab, is made on a budget of Rs 400 crore. Next is Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, which is reportedly being made on a budget of Rs 320 crore. Then there are the two most awaited sequels – Salaar 2 and Kalki 2 – both with a collective budget of around Rs 1060 crore. Another project that Prabhas is working on is a film with Hanu Raghavapudi, which has a budget of around Rs 320 crore.

These figures seem unbelievable. But, for an actor whose last screen appearance grossed over Rs 1000 crore, the sky appears to be the limit. The need of the hour is to make calculated moves and certainly not repeat mistakes like Adipurush. Prabhas’ films guarantee a solid start, but this is probably the best time for the actor to do some conscious analysis and focus on not losing what he has gained after Kalki 2898 AD. Of course it won’t be easy.

Filmmaking is a creative business and even if he gives his best in every project, it still might not be enough to ensure 100 percent returns at the box office. However, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that if anyone can justify this hefty budget this time, or in fact double it, it’s Prabhas.