While ‘Baahubali’ has become a benchmark in Telugu cinema, the upcoming ‘Baahubali: The Epic’ will be a compilation of the two original films, running for 5 hours and 27 minutes. However, an earlier Telugu film holds the record for being the longest.
‘Daana Veera Soora Karna,’ released in 1977, is that film. N.T. Rama Rao not only starred in the movie but also wrote and directed it, taking on the roles of Karna, Duryodhana, and Krishna. This cinematic achievement clocks in at an impressive 9 hours and 53 minutes, considerably exceeding the runtime of ‘Baahubali: The Epic.’
‘Daana Veera Soora Karna,’ produced on a budget of 10 lakh rupees, was re-released in 1994. The film’s rights were sold for 60 lakh rupees. The initial release in 1977 brought in 1.5 crore rupees, and the 1994 re-release earned 1 crore rupees, for a cumulative total of 2.5 crore rupees. This places it among India’s longest cinematic endeavors.