Ram Srikar
Varsham (2004)
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Varsham features a killer intro scene designed to allow the actor to flaunt his biceps, and it marked the arrival of a star.What makes Varsham even more special is that it was Prabhas’ first tryst with Ramayana, having come out 20 years before Adipurush. Life did come full circle for Prabhas.
Chatrapathi (2005)
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Chatrapathi, Prabhas's first collaboration with SS Rajamouli is an intense action drama laced with amma sentiment, a combination that just can’t go wrong. Chatrapathi was a wonderful platform for the actor to portray both his machismo and vulnerability, and the actor did excel.
Bujjigadu (2008)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Bujjigaadu being his most theatrical, loud and energetic role, in true-blue Puri Jagannadh fashion, was a breath of fresh air. While the film wasn’t a massive hit, it did present a rejuvenated Prabhas.
Billa (2009)
Streaming on: Voot
Prabhas followed up Bijjigadu with the ultra-stylish Billa, which, being the 6th remake of Don, had its limitations story-wise. Billa remains special because of two reasons: it was a big step up for Prabhas in terms of scale, and two, he shared screen space with his pedha naanna, Krishnam Raju.
Darling (2010)
Streaming on: SunNXT
Darling was Prabhas’ biggest attempt at reinventing himself. From his wardrobe to his body language, everything about Darling was a breeze. A pure romantic comedy with zero violence and bloodshed, it was the makeover Prabhas badly needed after enduring a streak of staleness in the action genre.
Mr Perfect (2011)
Streaming on: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video (Hindi dub), Zee5 (Tamil dub)
In 2011, Mr Perfect achieved a feat only reserved for Baahubali 2 in Prabhas' career. To let the actor follow up a hit with another hit. In this family entertainer, Prabhas plays a materialistic game designer who seeks perfection and has to go through a coming-of-age arc to understand his own limitations and priorities.
Mirchi (2013)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar
In Mirchi, Prabhas aced both the class and mass avatars. Mirchi is also surprisingly emotional, by making the violent hero complicit in his mother’s death, thereby instigating him to go on a redemptive journey.
Thank you for reading!