What If..

They Interviewed With GVM? - Part 2

[Gurgling sound of water in the background, shot glares from sunlight focusing on the majestic fountain and three celebrities in front of it.]

(After a brief recap..)

GVM: That's very unique about you, Prabhas. Every actor or actress associated with you says you - in their words - kill them with food. (laughs)

Prabhas: We are a family of foodies, haha, we love entertaining people with different varieties of food.

Anushka: A truckload of food (laughs)

Prabhas: Yeah

GVM: So is that how you impressed Anushka?

(Both giggle looking at each other)

Prabhas: Maybe! I used to go to her house whenever she was in town—she was super busy when I was trying to impress her, haha—and the reason I would give is that my mother or aunt sent food for her. Her house was very close to mine, five minutes away, so I would drive or ask my driver to drop me off.
(Anushka affectionately gazes at him as he reveals their early days together)
With a huge basket and flowers, haha—I would visit her. We would have lunch or dinner and watch Geetanjali, other movies too, but often Geetanjali.

Anushka: Yeah, we watched Maniratnam and Bapu garu's movies repeatedly.

Prabhas: This happened very few times because people in her apartment started noticing. She was a superstar—right, a South Indian sensation already. So it was not easy. We wanted to keep it low until officially announcing. Madam had to give dates to go on a date after that.
(He steals glances of her with his charming smile and scrunched nose.)

GVM: When was this?

Prabhas: The food? That was after we worked on Billa, right?

Anushka: No, even before that. So we met during the audio launch of Mahanandi, my second film, and later at the muhurtham of my first film with Rajamouli garu, Vikaramarkudu. Ever since that I started getting tiffin carriers, haha. I was very close to everyone in his family by Billa, so they used to invite me home too. 

GVM: So that makes it clear why you were so confident when saying you wanted to be part of a big family.

Anushka: Yeah, I always told about Rajamouli garu's family, Nagarjuna garu's family, and a lot of other people but never mentioned Prabhas's in any interview or show. But honestly, you could see me with his family whenever I was in Hyderabad more than my own place.

GVM: So your friendship grew that way.

Prabhas: But sir, there was a point where I thought this wouldn't work.

GVM: You mean your relationship?

Prabhas: Well, it was one-sided from my end then (laughs)-

Anushka: Noooo

(Chuckles)—not the relationship but friendship in general. I'll tell you an incident. When Arundathi was released, we were in Malaysia shooting Billa. We heard super responses but got to see it a week later. Me, her, and Billa's director, Meher Ramesh, went to a theatre in Hyderabad together. She got busy with the audience during the interval, but after the movie we were going crazy and praising her. She just smiled and thanked us. I was surprised. How can a beautiful girl with so much talent at peak stardom be so balanced? I just hugged her. I didn't know what to say. We all thought she would, you know, later develop an attitude and stop hanging out with us. Nothing changed.

GVM: That movie definitely set a benchmark for the industry. Was that the day you decided she was the one?

Prabhas: That was one incident, yes. But I fell hard way before that. I told Rajamouli during Vikramarkudu. (Looks at his gorgeous partner.)