Baahubali success makes Prabhas a tough contender for Mahesh Babu, Surya in ad industry

While superstars Mahesh Babu and Surya have ruled the southern advertisement industry for years, with the huge success of "Baahubali - the Beginning", actor Prabhas is set to give them tough competition.

Prabhas is one of the hottest hunks in Telugu film industry and had several hit movies to his credit before the release of "Baahubali - the Beginning". Though he had his share of fans, Prabhas never had much demand in the ad industry and was featured in very few TV commercials.

But all that changed overnight following the success of "Baahubali the Beginning", which raked in Rs 600 crore at the worldwide box office. Prabhas, who played the lead role in the movie, impressed the audience with action scenes and his chiseled body. The movie amassed him an army of fans not only in South, but also in North India and foreign countries like USA, UK, UAE, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

Now, Prabhas has become a hot property in the ad world, which wants to capitalise on his tremendous success. Several popular commercial brands are considering him as one of the most popular youth icons of India. Some endorsement companies have reportedly approached him and they have plans to rope him in as the ambassador of their brands.

Companies selling cars, shoes, colognes to fitness equipment want the actor to come on board. He recently signed an endorsement deal with the Mahindra Group to become the brand ambassador of Mahindra TUV 300.

On 12 September, Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, tweeted, "Welcome Baahubali. We have a worthy chariot for you..."

A post on Mahindra TUV300 official Twitter page reads, "Action Hero Prabhas of 'Baahubali' fame soon to be seen in a new role with the Tough & Stylish Mahindra #TUV300."

Mahindra Group is one of India's leading corporate giants. With Mahindra's authentic touch, Prabhas mania is expected to grow by leaps and bounds. He is expected to give a tough competition not only for southern movie actors but also to Bollywood superstars like Salman and Shah Rukh Khan.

"Post Baahubali, Prabhas has garnered a national appeal, which has led to a lot of brands approaching his team to get him on board as their brand ambassador," a source close to the actor said.