India's most expensive web series cost more than Baahubali, Pathaan, Animal; was cancelled without finishing one episode

In 2018, when Netflix India was beginning to spread its wings in terms of original content, it announced an ambitious project – a spinoff/prequel to SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster Baahubali film series. The series was titled Baahubali: Before The Beginning, which eventually cost the streamer Rs 300 crore

Netflix began filming the first season of the show in 2018 with an all-star cast. However, after spending Rs 100 crore on filming, Netflix decided to start from scratch. A new series was devised with a new lead. Reports stated that this was to cost Rs 200 crore. The combined cost of the series is higher than even the first Baahubali film (Rs 250 crore) as well as Pathaan (Rs 250 crore) and Animal (Rs 90 crore)

The ambitious web series was said to be based on the books written by Anand Neelakanthan that focus on Sivagami, the character played by Ramya Krishnan in the film. The first season was said to be based on the book The Rise of Sivagami.

Mrunal Thakur was cast as young Sivagami and Rahul Bose and Atul Kulkarni also came on board as filming began in September 2018. Mrunal even finished the first season’s filming the following year before Netflix did a hard pivot on the show

In 2022, a new series was conceptualised and Wamiqa Gabbi was brought on board as a young Sivagami but no progress has been made on the show so far, something the actress has herself confessed

Wamiqa Gabbi has implied that she may not be a part of the project anymore given that the director Kunal Deshmukh has also opted out. In 2022, Variety reported that Netflix was ‘re-evaluating’ the show, adding that the streaming giant has been “struggling with the project for some time now.”