Elephant god takes fashion tips from Baahubali

Mumbai: Not only did the movie Baahubali 2 have a record-breaking stint at box offices in India and abroad, its impact can also be seen in the forthcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival too. Several Ganesha idols being made ahead of the festival seem to be influenced by the costume and persona of the movie’s protagonist, ‘Baahubali’, which was played by actor Prabhas. The armour worn by several idols of the elephant-headed God resemble the armour that was sported by Prabhas in Baahubali 2.

Besides Baahubali Ganpatis, demand for eco-friendly idols too is on the rise as the administration is strict about enforcing the ban on the use of statues made of plaster of Paris. Ganesha Chaturthi will be observed in the city from August 25.

Taking a cue from the movie — in which Prabhas strikes a pose standing atop an elephant — many idol-makers are replicating reel life and making Ganesha idols strike the same pose. With just over three weeks to go for the festival, idol-makers have been churning out Baahubali Ganpatis in various shapes, sizes and colours.

Rohit Art, a Kandivali-based idol-making company, has got around 10-15 orders of Baahubali Ganpatis. Talking to The Asian Age, proprietor Rohit said, “Every year we do something different but this year the Baahubali idols are more in demand. Every week we are making 3-4 idols of Baahubali Ganpati. Big Baahubali Ganpatis cost  Rs 25,000,while small idols cost Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000.”

Sunil Bhambhulkar, an artist and owner of Parel-based Ganpati workshop, Soham Arts, said, “Like every year we have a different trend, this year the most demand is for Baahubali Ganpatis. So we need to prepare more such idols to meet the demand.”