Magadheera

• Chiranjeevi featured after the song "Bangaru Kodipetta" (archival footage was also used from the same song)
• Mumaith Khan as Reshma, the street bike race organizer. She also appears in "Bangaru Kodipetta"
• Brahmanandam as Kittu, Indu's neighbor (guest appearance)
• Saloni Aswani as Apilli, Solomon's love interest
• Kim Sharma as Hamsa, a dancer who appears in the item song "Jorsey"
• Amrapali Dubey as a girl who bets on Shyam, a biker (short cameo)

Screenwriter Vijayendra Prasad prepared a story for a film titled Jagadeka Veerudu with Krishna as the lead in the direction of Sagar. That story is about a bodyguard who serves a Rajamatha (queen mother). He fights 100 warriors and dies in his attempt to re-enthrone the Rajamatha after she is overthrown by her conspirators. He is reborn after 400 years and fulfills his ambition of placing her on the throne by making her a Chief Minister or a popular social worker like Medha Patkar. It was rejected as they didn't like the concept.[13]

After fifteen years, Prasad's son S. S. Rajamouli selected this script for the film he was to direct with Ram Charan under Geetha Arts banner. But, he made several changes to it.[14] Rajamouli re-characterized the Rajamatha character as a princess to create a vital love story for the film, as he felt that the relationship between a queen and a bodyguard would be only about loyalty and honesty.[13]

Production for the film was officially launched on 2 March 2008 at Film Nagar Cultural Center (FNCC) in Hyderabad. B. V. S. N. Prasad co-produced the film with Allu Aravind under his production banner, Geetha Arts. M. Rathnam was announced as the dialogue writer while Rajamouli's usual collaborators K. K. Senthil Kumar, Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao, and M. M. Keeravani worked on the film's cinematography, editing, and music respectively.[15] After many potential titles, Magadheera was considered and finalised in early February 2009.[16][17]

After considering several actresses (including Tamannaah) for the princess role, Kajal Aggarwal was selected by Rajamouli as the female lead opposite Ram Charan after conducting a photo shoot in his office.[18] Rajamouli said that he wanted to cast her as the female lead in Yamadonga (2007) after her Telugu debut Lakshmi Kalyanam (2007), but she was unavailable. He added that he wanted somebody "good looking, who would look like a princess and who had dates available" and finalized her because she met all of these prerequisites.[19] After conducting her photoshoot, Rajamouli explained the story and Mithra's characterization to her in 45 minutes. He said she needed to treat the hero arrogantly, but do so out of love for the hero. Kajal kept this in mind and acted accordingly[13] while playing the dual roles of a princess from 400 years ago and a modern-day college student. Kajal called both her roles "unique and challenging".[20]

Dev Gill was selected to portray the film's antagonist. Rajamouli was criticized for selecting him considering Gill's previous film, Krishnarjuna (2008), but remained adamant about casting him. He said that he had to cast a good-looking man as the film's villain because the heroine needed to find him trustworthy. For this film, Gill had to practice horse riding in Ramoji Film City; Ram Charan was already an experienced equestrian.[13] Srihari was cast in his role in the film in early April 2008.[21] Kim Sharma was selected to perform one of the two item numbers in the film in early June 2008.[22] Saloni Aswani made a cameo appearance in the film and shot for three days. She was subsequently signed for Rajamouli's next project, Maryada Ramanna (2010), before Magadheera was even released.[23]

Rao Ramesh was cast as a tantrik who helps Gill's character in the present era.[24] Mumaith Khan was selected for another item number, a remix version of the hit song "Bangaru Kodipetta" from Gharana Mogudu (1992); Gharana Mogudu's music was also composed by M. M. Keeravani.[25] Chiranjeevi made a special appearance after the song, making Magadheera the first film he appeared in after his entry into politics. When Rajamouli suggested the idea of a cameo appearance, Chiranjeevi was initially hesitant till the director narrated the complete sequence and the importance of the song.[26]

Regarding his looks in the film, Ram Charan said, "Personality-wise there isn't much difference to Kala Bhairava but I have to tell you minor changes like the shape of my mustache, a slight voice modulation, the background scale, the atmosphere, and even the 'Chandrabindu' worked wonders on screen and gave a different look and feel and I felt like it was an altogether different side of me. When I was told of the characterization of 'Kala Bhairava', I had an impression of a young, passionate soldier and naturally, it had to have a great body and an authoritative voice. So, we also worked on it. We actually went to Rajasthan and observed the local culture and their way of dressing, we researched a lot about their costumes, history, and great personalities 400 years ago and planned it accordingly."[28] Ram Charan sported a long hairdo for both of his characters in the film.[28]

To design the armor used by Charan in his role as Kala Bhairava, art director R. Ravinder wanted precise measurements of Charan's body; they used plaster of Paris to make a mold of Charan's body shape from which they created a statue. They designed costumes for the statue and had Charan try them on once they were satisfied with the designs.[29] In an interview with Radhika Rajamani of Rediff.com, the film's stylist, Rama Rajamouli, said that it took one month to develop the right look for the olden period before she began working on the materials and costumes for the film. She added that all of the film's costumes were designed by her and stitched in Hyderabad and that Kajal's costumes were heavily detailed as she needed to look rich, elegant, and bright. Rama Rajamouli had some disagreements with cinematographer K. K. Senthil Kumar over the colors of the costumes.[27] Her decision of having Kajal wear a dress of baby pink and pista green during the war sequence at Bhairavakona was initially opposed by Rajamouli, but later agreed to after the director saw the final edit. She also used minimal jewelry for the princess' outfits.[19]

Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad where the film was shot in specially erected sets

The film's principal photography was expected to begin on 26 February 2008,[30] and then on 15 March 2008, but finally began on 19 March 2008 in Rajasthan.[15][31] Initial shooting occurred for 10 days in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.[21] Art director Ravinder went to Chennai and gave details of their requirements to a prominent chariot-making specialist. After rejecting the maker's first iron skeletons, Ravinder opted to design them himself, and prepared three models of chariots with different heights to be used, depending on the camera's location and other technical requirements. He used fiber material for the iron skeleton's exteriors. For a scene in which neither the hero nor the villain was present on the chariot, Ravinder measured a short person and designed a hidden chamber in which he could sit and secretly control the horses. While the chariot race sequence was shot in Dholavira, the sequence in which the chariot sinks in quicksand was shot at a set comprising three acres in Ramoji Film City.[32]

K. K. Senthil Kumar scouted for locations in Gujarat, looking for dry, open lands to shoot the chariot race sequence. They found salt lands with white sands in Dholavira. To shoot the sequence there, they wanted a lightweight vehicle to follow the horses; they bought a Maruti van, removed the vehicle's top, and mounted the camera along with a jimmy jib atop it. A part of the song Dheera Dheera was also shot there, requiring filmmakers to plant a dry tree and a couple of oxen for use in the song's backdrop.[34] An item number featuring Kim Sharma and Ram Charan was shot in late June 2008 in a specially erected fishermen colony. It was set up on the first floor of Annapurna Studios and cost less than ₹30 lakh. Ravinder explained, "The set should look like an outdoor location, but need to be constructed on an indoor floor. I constructed the exteriors of around 28 houses on that floor with a detailed interior plan for the house Srihari. I also constructed a small boat and a big-wheeled fish with a thermocouple. When the director wanted a smoke effect for a shot I held the heavy smoke machine on my shoulders at a low angle for the required effect."[22][35]

After filming key parts of the film in Rajasthan, in suburbs of Hyderabad, and at Badami in Karnataka, filming continued in Ramoji Film City in a specially erected set named Bhairavakona in late October 2008. Two more schedules, one from 3–10 December and one in January, were also shot at the Bhairavakona set.[36][37] The sequence of Charan killing 100 warriors, also at Bhairavakona, included a bridge. As the set did not permit shooting with low angles, a separate half-bridge was erected at Bhoot Bangla in Road No. 22 of Banjara Hills. The bridge, which had a height of 60 feet (18 m) and a length of 100 feet (30 m), was constructed on top of a rocky hill using steel beams as the skeleton and wooden material as support. It was built in around 20 days by over 60 men amid heavy rains. 20 trucks of black soil were transported from Ramoji Film City for the bridge set, as that type of soil was only available in the former location.[38]

Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad where the song "Panchadara Bomma", picturized on Ram Charan and Kajal, was shot.

After the completion of shooting at the arena set in Ramoji Film City, the arena set was demolished and a set for the heroine's house was constructed in its place. This was the last set constructed for this film.[39] By late September 2008, 70% of the film's shoot was complete. The remix version of "Bangaru Kodipetta" was shot by Ram Charan and Mumaith Khan under the supervision of Prem Rakshith at Chennai Port, although Visakhapatnam Port was first considered.[40] Filming continued in and around Hyderabad very discreetly in November 2008.[41] Stunt sequences by Ram Charan and some stuntmen were shot in mid-December 2008 at Hyderabad.[42] By mid-February 2009, the film's scripted part had been wrapped up, with only some songs left to shoot.[43] The song "Nakosam Nuvvu" was shot in Switzerland while "Panchadara Bomma Bomma" was shot at Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. Both songs were duets featuring Ram Charan and Kajal.[44] K. K. Senthil Kumar said in an interview that Magadheera could not have been made in eight months because of its long pre-production and post-production phases.[33] Over two lakhs worth of props, including swords, daggers, knives, bows and arrows, pouches, armor, footwear, and other accessories, were used in the film. They were designed by 160 workers, including welders, molders, carpenters, painters, cobblers, artists, tailors, and leathermen, who worked for two months in the Geetha Arts Studio. Five people were appointed exclusively to look after these props.[45] However, during the film's shoot both Peter Hein and Ram Charan suffered major injuries.[46] The former fell down from a height of 80–90 feet during the composition of a stunt and was advised a bed rest for four months.[47] Charan faced severe leg fractures,[46] while Rajamouli said that Peter "met with an accident on the sets, had two broken ribs, fractured hands and jaw and lost all his teeth. Within a month, he was back on the sets with his face and body covered in bandages and plaster. He could barely lift his hands to shoot."[19]

A scene from the song "Dheera Dheera" during the filming stage (above), the same scene in the film after utilization of CG extension (below).

R. C. Kamalakannan was the VFX producer of this film. Magadheera was the first Telugu film in which the position of "Visual Effects Producer" was used in the credits. He was assisted by a team of five experts from abroad and 62 dedicated group members apart from 130 people from the company EFX in Chennai and Hyderabad. Special effects and CG were used for about 1 hour and 40 minutes out of the total 2 hours and 35 minutes in the film. 15% of the frames in the film's scenes of Udaigarh city were shot with a camera; the rest were CG extensions. For the scenes in the stadium, CG extension was slightly above 50%.[48] For the stadium, Italian concept artist Marco Rolandi began with a CAD drawing and made his first 3D concept in 5 days. It took five months for Marco Rolandi to reach the design shown in the film and as imagined by Rajamouli. Simultaneously, Iranian 3D technical director Adel Adili, who worked with Kamalakannan for Anji (2004), Yamadonga and Arundathi (2009), was working on the 3D Udaigarh city. He started with a city plan and added streets, buildings, mountains, temples, palaces, water bodies, a huge waterfall, rivers, gates, a moat, and trees, all of which were planned and received Rajamouli's approval before being executed to full scale. Adili redesigned Marco's 3D stadium to suit Indian aesthetics and made it fit perfectly within the city.[49]

Pete Draper, who worked with Kamalakanna in Ghajini (2008), was selected as the pipeline technical director of the film. At that time, Kamalakannan was in Iran finalizing the CG stadium and City with Adili. The majority of the film was shot in anamorphic format, but a Super 35 camera gate and lens were used for the stadium episode to minimize distortion. Post-production of the stadium scenes was given to Prasad EFX, and the film set up their own render farm in Chennai. The post-process was done in several stages after the scan. The live stadium had only 7 steps, in which live people were positioned in 6 steps while the remaining 12 steps were CG extensions. Adili created 3D CG people to fill the CG steps and their actions in a library of 3000 frames.[49]

Draper designed the birds in two flows: one flow kept flying around the stadium, while the other flow took off from a position dome and landed on a target dome. Rajamouli used those birds in several shots. Upon finishing the stages of the stadium composite, Kamalakannan flew to Iran again to work with Adel on the 3D city shots which were created entirely in CG. Adili designed 3D horses for the hero and villain and Draper designed the 3D people flocking behind the horses. About Adili's work, Kamalakannan said, "When we started the city-shot renders, it has taken several hours to render one frame. But Adili re-corrected the geometry and applied several path-breaking ideas, so even on 24 July, just a week before the film release, we were able to do corrections, render and submit."[49] ₹4 crores ($825,000) was spent solely on VFX for Magadheera.[50]

During the film's shoot at Ramoji Film City in late November 2008, a 500 square feet (46 m²) film can, containing two or three scenes, was discovered missing from Rainbow lab. The filmmakers filed a case at Hayathnagar police station.[51] Security personnel and film unit members searched, but failed to recover the reels.[52] Rajamouli's unit said it was not important if the scenes from the can were aired online since they were not crucial scenes, were all on a blue matte, and lacked finishing.[51] Later, raw footage from the film was seen on the internet but no details about the culprits were found.[51] After the photographs and small video clips were leaked on the Internet, some of the film unit members felt that the loss might have been a ploy on the part of the producers to create hype.[52]

Geetha Arts released the film on 31 July 2009, with 625 digital UFO Moviez prints in 1250 theatres across the globe, making Magadheera the biggest release for a Telugu film in history. Its release included more than 1000 screens in Andhra Pradesh alone.[44][60][61] The film opened up with 25 prints overseas in almost 40 locations. Magadheera was the first Telugu film to be released on 21 screens in North America.[60][62] Huge vinyl posters featuring Ram Charan and his father, cameo performer Chiranjeevi, were put up at all of the theatres in Krishna District. Posters also featured the head of Chiranjeevi's political party, former MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna, which added political importance to the release.[63]

Tamil and Malayalam dubbed versions were planned in mid-February 2009.[64] The film's Tamil dubbed version was titled as Maaveeran, named after the 1986 Tamil film.[65] Geetha Arts collaborated with Udhayanidhi Stalin for the Tamil version and distributed it under his production banner, Red Giant Movies.[66] K. Bhagyaraj wrote the dialogues for Maaveeran.[67] The Malayalam version was titled Dheera—The Warrior and was distributed by Pallavi films.[68][69] The Tamil dubbed version Maaveeran and Malayalam dubbed version Dheera—The Warrior were released in more than 100 screens and 50 screens respectively on 27 May 2011.[10]

Raju Hirwani, the owner of Supreme Music, ventured into overseas distribution with Magadheera. He distributed the film in the USA via Blue Sky Cinemas Inc.[70][71][72] The distribution rights of non-US countries, including the UK, Ireland, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, were acquired by Krishna Productions.[73] The theatrical rights of Australia and New Zealand were sold to Tollyfilmz. The film's Singaporean rights were sold to Pragati Films.[74][75] Gulf and Kuwait theatrical rights were sold to K. A. Chowdary and Basheer respectively.[76] Red Giant Movies distributed Maaveeran while Pallavi films distributed Dheera—The Warrior.[66][69] The film's Karnataka distributor, Vijayakumar, was disciplined for breaking the rules of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce by simultaneously releasing a non-Kannada film in more than 21 screens in the state. The proceeds of 21 screens were given to him while the rest was confiscated by the Chamber of Commerce. The KFCC also suspended Vijaykumar, who was KFCC's secretary for distribution, from its executive committee.[77]

Joint collector Gaurav Uppal convened a meeting of film exhibitors and distributors, warning them against black-marketing tickets to Magadheera. This was after local leaders, attempting to acquire a maximum number of tickets, blocked and booked tickets to the film in advance, to enthuse their supporters during the local civic polls in Guntur. Special teams of revenue, police, and commercial tax officers were appointed to keep watch at ticket counters and ensure that each person was issued only one ticket. Priority was ordered to be given to the sanitation, safety, and comfort of the viewers.[63] Authorities in Vijayawada ensured the strict checking and prevention of black-marketing of tickets. However, Ram Charan's fans resorted to sloganeering and an impromptu protest demonstration in the office of Revenue Divisional Officer K. Hymavathi in Machilipatnam. They demanded the screening of a benefit show and the advance sale of tickets after being rejected by the management of the twin theatres, Siri Venkata and Siri Krishna, where the film was screened. The officer rejected their plea and said that the tickets would be issued only to those who came in the queue and that no special concessions would be made for fans.[63]

On 9 August 2009, two persons, identified as NIT student M. Praveen Kumar and Ganesh, were killed and 15 others sustained severe injuries after being electrocuted while jostling for tickets for Magadheera at the theatre Bhavani in Kazipet, Warangal.[78] The screening of Magadheera at theatres in Vizianagaram was prohibited by the then minister Botsa Satyanarayana until safety measures were complied with. Satyanarayana's announcement followed the death of five people in Salur Village due to an electrical accident at the Lakshmi theatre screening Magadheera.[79]

Folk lyricist Vangapandu Prasada Rao alleged that his 40-year-old folk song "Em Pillado Eldamostavaa", which was featured in T. Krishna's Ardharathri Swatanthram (1986), was used by film director Rajamouli and Allu Aravind in the Magadheera song "Jorsey" without Rao's consent.[80][81] Activists of PDSU, POW and PYL staged a protest demonstration in front of the Ashok 70 MM theatre in Nizamabad, where the film was screened, to demand the removal of the song. The protesters said that the song was written by Rao during the famous Srikakulam armed struggle four decades prior and had been misused to portray an obscene duet in the film. They added that the song was used without the permission of the writer and that the depiction defeated the very purpose of the song, which was written in a revolutionary spirit. They demanded a public apology by the makers to Rao.[82] A few reports stated that Rao demanded Aravind pay him compensation of ₹50 lacks.[83]

After the completion of the film's 175-day run, novelist S. P. Chary accused the film of being based on a novel that he had written and published as a serial under the title Chanderi in a monthly magazine in 1998. He demanded that filmmakers compensate him for using his idea without consent, and threatened to take legal action if the producers did not heed his demands, or remade the film in another language. He added that he deserved to be credited for the story and alleged that Allu Arjun and Allu Sirish were trying to postpone his acknowledgment by discussing the issue with him.[84]

Magadheera was the first Telugu film in India to have a home media release in the Blu-ray format. During the release announcement, Allu Sirish said that although they initially were reluctant to go for it, given the fact that there were approximately only 2500 Blu-ray devices in Andhra Pradesh, the overwhelming demand for it made him rethink the decision. He added, "Sharing this vision with us was Sri Balaji Videos, the largest home-video label in Andhra Pradesh. Together, we're bringing out Magadheera on Blu-ray. Though Bhavani Videos released Nagarjuna's King (2008) on Blu-ray, it was only for the overseas market. This makes Magadheera the first Blu-ray film to be released in India and with a bonus disc with additional footage. We're also holding a press event in this regard to officially announce the launch of the movie on DVD and Blu-ray."[85]

A press note announced that the DVDs would be available beginning the third week of March 2010 while the Blu-ray would be available two weeks later.[86] The launch ceremony took place in a Marriott Hotel on 27 February 2010. The first DVD was released by M. M. Keeravani and was presented by journalist Pasupuleti Ramarao.[87] The DVD was released in NTSC video format and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio format on 5 March 2010. The Blu-ray disc was released on 13 April 2010. Magadheera held the top position in sales for its 720p Blu-ray edition with 5.1 Dolby digital sound format as of July 2014.[44]

Suresh Krishnamoorthy of The Hindu summarised, "Magadheera is not for the weak-hearted, those who do not like the sight of blood and neither is it for those who like movies with storylines that are much-closer-to-everyday- reality. But Rajamouli excels in story-telling. The way he has used the flashback as a flip switch, going back and forth and taking the viewer through a 400-year journey in a jiffy is interesting. The rest is about how well technology, creativity, imagination, and innovation are leveraged to present what is an eye-pleasing experience for viewers."[54] B. V. S. Prakash of The Times of India wrote, "Despite a few narrative lapses, the much-hyped semi-periodic epic lives up to expectations. Unlike his previous action-centric films, director Rajamouli dishes a heart-touching love story on a lavish canvas convincingly. Also kudos for the way he has visualized and presented the film." He added, "After not-so-impressive Chirutha, Ram Charan Tej returns as a valiant soldier and breathes life into the larger-than-life role with ease. Similarly, Kajal known for simple lover-girl roles transforms into a determined princess and truly impresses. Dev Gil is adequate as the ruthless villain", and rated the film 3 out of 5.[88]

Upperstall.com stated "Magadheera is not an epic, not a legend, not even a cult movie, but it is certainly an artistic extravaganza and a sensory treat. Like we said before, a must watch! A must watch!".[89] Radhika Rajamani of Rediff.com called the film "technically brilliant" and wrote "A reincarnation story is not often seen in Telugu cinema and SS Rajamouli uses this theme for Ram Charan Teja's second film Magadheera. It's a magnum opus production with great technical work. The graphics are excellent for a Telugu movie. Overall, the movie is a mainstream one with good packaging." She rated the film 3 out of 5.[90] Sify called the film a "brilliant entertainer" and wrote, "Set against the backdrop of an eerie theme — reincarnation — Magadheera unfolds on the screen with multiple shades of entertainment. When the movie was launched last year, director Rajamouli dared to reveal the central theme of the story. He succeeded in his attempt, as he was able to keep the screenplay and narration gripping from start to finish. The second half has the soul in it." Sify summarised, "In short, the movie encompasses some of the best commercial elements that Telugu audiences have seen in the recent past."[91]

IndiaGlitz called the film "royal and spellbinding" and opined, "The film deserves special credit for many reasons, notable among them is the grandeur of the movie and the amazing technical aspects. This is surely a path breaker in terms of Telugu film making and with the likes of 'Arundhati', Tollywood sure is proud to have this one in its league. It is a valiant attempt to bring such genre to the modern day audience and present it with finesse so that it fits the historical angle and the today's angle."[92] However, Rajamouli was accused of lifting scenes from films like Gladiator (2000), Troy (2004), The Myth (2005) and 300 (2007).[93]

The film collected a share of approximately ₹19.87 crore ($4 million) in its first week in Andhra Pradesh alone, of which a share of ₹7.1 crore ($1.46 million) was collected in Nizam region.[94][95] Sixteen centres collected ₹1 crore ($206,000), each of which was an all-time state record.[96] It collected a share of ₹38.15 crores ($7.88 million) in 21 days in Andhra Pradesh.[97] By the end of its four-week run, the film was declared a blockbuster and collected a share of ₹43.56 crores ($9 million) in 28 days and ₹47.08 crores ($9.7 million) in 35 days.[98][99] The film completed a 50-day run in 302 centers on 18 September 2009. By then, the film had collected ₹65 crores ($13.4 million) share and stood strong.[100][101]

The film completed its 100-day run in 223 centers. By then it had surpassed Rajinikanth's Sivaji: The Boss (2007), which grossed ₹65 crore in Tamil Nadu, and stood second to Ghajini (2008), which reached ₹200 crore.[96] The film completed a 175-day run in three centers.[100] The film completed a 365-day run in Vijayalakshmi theatre in Kurnool on 31 July 2010 and a 1000-day run in the same theatre on 26 April 2012.[102][103]

More than 50% of the film's lifetime collections were from the Nizam region.[104] The film also did well in the overseas box office. It was released in New Jersey with three prints on three screens and collected a record share of more than 150,000 dollars, turning the highest amount raised overseas by a Telugu film; the previous record holder was Trivikram Srinivas' Jalsa (2008), which collected more than 100,000 dollars. It grossed 102,000 dollars in its first two days in New Jersey and a share of 95,000 dollars in Virginia with two prints as of mid-August 2009. It collected a share of 78,000 dollars in the San Francisco Bay Area with a single print. It managed to sell 2300 tickets in Minneapolis; the previous record for tickets sold there for a Telugu film was 1200.[105] The film's overseas records were beaten two years later by Dookudu (2011), although disputes have arisen over which film holds the Tollywood all-time sales record.[106]

The film was dubbed in Japanese and released there in 2018. This version earned an additional $1 million, the second highest for an Indian film after Muthu (1995), which earned $1.6 million after being released in Japan.[107]