Meeting Baahubali Prabhas

I believe in the destiny and the words from SRK’s Om Shanti Om is a true testimony for my faith and belief that became my reality.

“Itni shidaat se main tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai, ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai.

Kehte hain ki …Agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai.”

Beginning of 2016, I came to Hyderabad after many years with just one wish. The excitement of seeing the new city was overpowered by the joy of being in the same city as him. On the very first day I reached, I came there and stood at his doorstep aware of his unavailability. All that madness of idolizing him for few months just made me speechless when I stood there feeling the same soil, breathing in the same air and walking on the same path as him. My happiness knew no bounds then… that is the precise moment when I knew I had fallen for a star.

I was hopelessly in love with someone that I had never met. Idolizing wasn’t new for me, yet, this kind was very new for me. Standing in front of his home all I wished for wholeheartedly was to be able to meet him, my darling the same year (2016) just once, even if it was from far away for few moments.

 

It was just a dream, a hope and a fantasy ever since I saw him first time on the big screen. Like how he was running towards the waterfall, climbing the rocks to go after his dream girl, I was chanting his name, going to Hyderabad and to his door step at every given opportunity. Little did I know that my dream was about to come true. Till date I ask myself over and over if it really happened.

I came back to Bengaluru with lots of happiness, some disappointments, some stories and a major learning. I learnt not to trust strangers and tell them about my love for him as they would take advantage of it. I had realized I needed a platform to express my bottled-up feelings for him. To feel good about being in love only comes when we share the feeling.

That is when twitter came to my rescue. It not only gave me platform to express myself but let me go ahead and gave me new friends who weren’t judgmental and shared similar love for him. My love for him only grew leaps and bounds with every passing day…I would read about him, watch everything available, yearn for him in so many ways…and still hoped and prayed for that one simple wish “To meet him, my darling”! For me just that one glimpse of him from any photo shoot or fan meet that gets out could work the magic. One smile of his could erase the worries and make me smile.

 

Like many, I was swooned over by his charm, style, super cool attitude, and more because of his ever smiling, friendly, loving behavior with everyone. Each of us worshiped him in our own way, he was our solace. I was always fantasized about movies and had few idols that I followed over the years. But I had never thought I would find an actor this charming that would literally change my world in just few hours.

Everything about him makes me smile. Just a mention of his name, music of his movie, glimpse of him could bring so much of happiness that sweeps me away. Hyderabad was just another city but it became a favorite destination because of him. When I was visiting Hyderabad in December 2016 to meet friends, although I had hoped to meet him, I wasn’t sure if it was possible. He was no more a regional star but had become the heartthrob of millions across the globe. His popularity had risen exponentially. So, for a girl from the neighboring state who didn’t know Telugu, had no connections in the movie industry, had absolutely no clue how to meet him went on knocking at every known door.

Somehow, a friend who had friends, helped me by making my dream a reality. I will always be thankful to that friend for making me meet my Baahubali Prabhas. The one simple wish that I had made in Jan of 2016 outside his home finally came true on 26th Dec 2016.

I still remember the day, December 26th around 9.30 AM I woke up to see so many missed calls from the friend who was trying to reach me to give me the big news. I called her back and she yelled at me, “Where were you? Your appointment is fixed and you need to start like in an hour.” Just hearing this I was shaking with happiness, excitement and nervousness. I had no clue what I should do, I was panicking so much that for the next 20 minutes I just walked mumbling something, unable to process the news. I got ready and then left in a rush. I was yet to know about the location, and was waiting to hear back from the close aide who would intimate me on the meeting point.

I wasn’t prepared for this…so I had not bought anything for him. Since we had time, rushed to the nearest mall, bought a book, greeting card and wrote my heart out in it expressing how much I love him. I would take pictures of everything but that day, I was lost. Lost in a fantasy world of darling, I missed taking pictures of the gifts I bought him. I knew no bounds on what was happening around me. I would repeat everything twice to people around, unable to hear their replies. From 10:30 AM till 12:00 noon waited restlessly in the mall for “THE CALL”. Then came the call informing me to be at this place little far off from where I was in next 45 minutes. Luckily the cab driver was so good that he took us to the place in the said time.

As we approached the location, we realized it was the shooting spot where Kattappa killed the mighty #Baahubali. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach…. We were told to stop at a point from where we would be picked up by his staff. They had sent an Innova to pick us. My Cab driver was worried if it was safe for us to go with them in the lonely place. He had no clue where we were or what was happening. I started conversing in my broken Telugu with the man who came to pick us. I bet I was blabbering about Prabhas and my love for him like a crazy person. I don’t recall now what I spoke though.

As the Innova drove us towards the location, I could see the water body that was posted in one of the making videos from Baahubali team. Then I see the gigantic cranes used in the action sequences that Shobu sir and Lee Whittaker used to post on Instagram and Twitter. Sighting the familiar scenes from Baahubali shoot made me cry out of happiness. I couldn’t believe I was there…in few minutes going to meet the man of my dreams.

As we walked towards his caravan, I noticed his car and I was shouting with joy. For obvious reasons, I was phased out and was literally repeating everything. We were made to sit near his caravan, and since it was lunch time, they offered us some fruits (watermelon). As I tried to eat, my eyes started to roam around, I noticed those big shoes that Baahubali wore in the movie. And for everything I smiled, blabbered and repeated. It was just too much to handle for a weak heart 😊.

In a few minutes we heard some noise and the man descended from his caravan. He was wearing dark grey shorts, black short kurta and his trademark stylish sunglasses. For few seconds my jaws dropped, heart stopped beating, I forgot I had to breathe, and felt I was in heaven. Looking at him at such proximity was something beyond words. No matter how hard I try, I can’t put words to explain my feelings of that moment.

He got down smiling heading towards us and I could feel my knees going weak, heart thumping, blood rushing, cheeks turning red, eyes fluttering, and lips trembling. I had thought I would go dumbstruck whenever I would meet him, but I was opposite of dumbstruck. I was like a child watching a magic show for the first time. I couldn’t fathom the happenings around me.

He was exactly how I had heard about him and how I had imagined he would be. His sweet caring nature, simplicity, cool attitude was oozing out. His sculpted body, flexed arms, long legs, skin shining under the sun, he was a demigod… ufffff…. hotness all around, too much to handle. He inquired about whereabouts and what movies of him I liked the most. When I told him that I am from Bangalore and speak Tulu and Kannada he smilingly said “Oh, like Sweety”. I replied, “yes, and I am trying to learn Telugu just for you.”

I gave him the gifts I had got for him and hugged him for over a minute or two, said I love him so many times. Everyone around him were laughing at my madness and I had absolutely no care. His assistant took few pictures for us and I asked him for a video message for the friend who had arranged for this meet and who couldn’t make it. Him being a sweetheart, he in-turn asked me “what do you want me to tell?” No celebrity whims, no attitude, no showing off that he was the star and the mighty Baahubali. He was just a simple, sweet, warm, caring, awesome darling to his fans.

Feeling his arms around me, able to hear his heartbeat, feel his warmth, smell his scent, hear his majestic voice, I was in an eternal bliss.

In those 10-15 minutes we met, I must have hugged him couple of times, my gaze was stuck at him, I told him so many things which most of it probably would not have made any sense to him, except probably me chanting “I love you Prabhas” to which he laughed and said, “Love you too”. He must have thought what a crazy fan.

It was time for him to get back to his shoot as Karthikeya came to call him. The meeting ended with me hugging him one last time before I bid adieu. I wasn’t ready to let go of him. I didn’t want that moment to end, I wanted more of him. It wasn’t enough for a longing heart. I held his hand and kissed him saying “I love you” yet again. He smiled and waved us good bye.

I slowly moved from there with a gleaming heart, twinkling eyes and everlasting smile carrying so many emotions and still in a haze. I couldn’t believe it had happened. I had finally met Prabhas, my darling, the great Baahubali, sweetheart of millions of hearts, dazzling star of #Saaho, and forever charming and humble Superstar who remained oblivious of the glory and stardom.

My family and friends thought my love for him would calm down after the meet. However, darling, my love for you and madness only grew leaps and bounds. I admire you as a person, love you for the things you do, and respect you for everything.

Prabhas, I love you even more now since I met you.

I wanted to write about it all since then. But every time I started, I would lose concentration and thoughts would take me all over him. But finally, after close to 10 months since I met him, I tried to capture the moments through this blog. I am not happy as I know I didn’t do justice to the incident and how I felt meeting him in mere words.

Some things are good only when felt and not when expressed. Meeting him was one similar thing. I will cherish it in my heart forever. I hope I get to meet him again and again.

Thank you Prabhas for coming into my life. Happy Birthday! Stay happy and stay sweet. – Lots of love, Ardent Fan (@VivaciousVids)