Baahubali: The Epic — two films merged into one grand screening
This Friday marks the release of Baahubali: The Epic, a unique experiment that stitches together Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) into a single film for the franchise’s tenth anniversary. What sounded risky has already shown signs of success: advance bookings in the South and overseas for Telugu audiences are looking strong.
Exact runtime and how the film is split
While fans knew the film would run close to four hours, trade sources have shared the precise timings. The pre-interval portion runs for 1 hour, 42 minutes and 33 seconds. The second half is longer: 2 hours, 3 minutes and 11 seconds. That adds up to a total duration of 3 hours, 45 minutes and 44 seconds.
Just one intermission — a modern choice
Despite its length, Baahubali: The Epic will have only a single interval. In the past, very long films sometimes used two intermissions — for example, Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964) and Mera Naam Joker (1970) had double interval points. Over time the twin-interval system faded, and many long films since have stuck to one break, including Mohabbatein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and more recent long-format releases.
What was trimmed — nearly two hours cut
Individually, the original films ran 159 minutes and 167 minutes, which together total 326 minutes (5 hours and 26 minutes). The new single-film cut clocks in at 225 minutes, meaning the makers have condensed roughly 101 minutes of material. How they preserved the saga’s grandeur, emotion and narrative continuity within that trim will be a major talking point among fans and critics alike.
Expectations and curiosity
- Advance bookings signal strong interest, especially among the original Telugu audience overseas.
- Viewers will watch closely to see how key scenes and character moments were retained or shortened.
- The single-interval format keeps the theatrical flow modern while still delivering an epic running time.
With nostalgia, spectacle and a bold editorial choice all wrapped together, Baahubali: The Epic promises an eventful cinema experience — and audiences are eager to see whether the condensed saga lives up to the original legend.
