Prabhas-starrer Baahubali: The Epic has hit the big screens, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Baahubali: The Beginning. However, the newly re-edited version has removed several portions, including Tamannaah Bhatia’s song and other sequences.

In response to why these portions were removed, director SS Rajamouli explained that the decision was made due to the film’s extended runtime.

SS Rajamouli on removing Tamannaah Bhatia’s portions in Baahubali: The Epic

In a recent promotional interview with Prabhas and Rana Daggubati, the filmmaker mentioned that if both parts of Baahubali were merged and the rolling titles removed, the total duration would have been around 5 hours and 27 minutes. However, the current version runs for 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Rajamouli further explained that the major portions removed from the film included Avanthika’s love story with Shivudu, the songs Pacha Bottesina, Kanna Nidurinchara, and Irrukupo, along with several trimmed sequences from the war episodes.

Interestingly, makers of The Ba**ds of Bollywood recently used an alternate version of Tamannaah‘s song in their series, while retaining her original version only for promotional purposes.

More about Baahubali: The Epic

Baahubali: The Epic is a re-edited and remastered version of Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion, merged into a single film. The movie follows the story of Shivudu (Mahendra Baahubali), who sets out to rescue the woman he loves, only to discover his true destiny, avenging the death of his biological father, Amarendra Baahubali.

Featuring Prabhas in triple roles, the film also stars Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar, and several others.

Looking ahead, the makers of Baahubali have announced an epic animated film titled Baahubali: The Eternal War, which will further expand the cinematic universe.

SS Rajamouli’s next film

SS Rajamouli is currently working on his next project, tentatively titled SSMB29. Starring Mahesh Babu in the lead role, the film is said to be a globe-trotting jungle adventure featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the co-lead.

With the official title expected to be announced in November 2025, the film is also rumored to feature Prithviraj Sukumaran and R. Madhavan in key roles.

Amidst all the confusion and speculations surrounding the release date of Love & War, Variety has reported that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious project is now slated to release on August 14, 2026, aligning perfectly with the Independence Day weekend. This strategic release window gives the film a massive advantage, promising an extended holiday run and an opportunity to dominate the box office if strong word of mouth. However, there’s no official word regarding the same. 

If news is anything to go by, this will mark Bhansali’s first-ever Independence Day release, and now, all eyes are on it. With the filmmaker’s record of movies, vision, and a powerful star cast, Love & War is poised to be one of the biggest cinematic events of 2026. 

The Independence Day release has historically been one of the most profitable slots for Hindi cinema, with blockbusters like Gadar 2 and Stree 2 benefitting from the patriotic fervor and long weekend footfalls.

For the unversed, the film was initially set to hit screens on March 20, 2026. “Though around 125 days of the shoot is already completed, the makers are yet to finish a big chunk of the shoot and hence, the release date has been moved. An official announcement regarding the new release date will be made soon,” reveals the source. 

Post Mumbai schedule, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, with the team of SLB’s film, will fly off to Italy for a major schedule. The director is going to shoot the climax scene of the film in Italy, Sicily.