Today is Prabhas' birthday. His rise in ranks mostly in parts of India excluding South has been stupendous and you have the Baahubali series to thank for that. It's not that people weren't aware of him in this part of the country. We have seen many dubbed movies of Prabhas on TV, one of which even had Kangana Ranaut in it. So he wasn't a new face but he definitely became a new and valuable addition to the Bollywood circuit after the period drama series. So what makes him tick? What makes him a darling of the masses pan-India? On his birthday, we have embarked on this journey to figure out how Prabhas' popularity cuts across age groups and across the country.Baahubali Reunion in London: Netizens Can’t Stop Shipping Prabhas and Anushka Shetty as They Pose Together With SS Rajamouli and Rana Daggubati (View Pic)

Unconventional looks

Shah Rukh Khan has said more often than we care to believe that if he can become a romantic superstar looking like that, anyone can. Prabhas is not Hrithik Roshan and that's where he scores. The actor is an attainable guy...your next door crush, a man your family would love to meet, a smile that can move mountains. He is relatable. That's why after Baahubali he received so many marriage proposals. In today's time, people are more interested in something real and less aspirational.

Less Is More

If you have noticed, Prabhas maintains a low-key existence. You will see him only when his movies are releasing. For Baahubali and Saaho, the actor gave interviews everywhere. He likes to talk more about his films and less about his personal life. It's been a while since we found an actor who is less busy on social media and more involved on the sets. No offence to anyone, but that's a refreshing change. There's no overkill that way!

Eye on the prize

Every actor needs conviction for their job. Prabhas worked on Baahubali for 5 years and then on Saaho for couple of more years. During those years, he didn't think of moving to another film. It means he knew what he was getting into and made sure the movies are enough to not make him regret about any of the opportunities that he must have missed in the meantime.

Box office magician

If anybody thought Baahubali series was a fluke, must be chewing their words after Saaho released. In fact, the latter was his test. Without the armour of S S Rajamouli, Prabhas had to prove he is what it takes to be a pan-India star and he did. In fact, Saaho was his debut Hindi film and perhaps he is the only South Indian actor whose debut minted Rs 142.95 crore.

Carving a niche

Be it Bollywood or south industries, there are a lot of talents doing good job. It is necessary to carve a niche and Prabhas has not only found it but has managed to make it click across India. Prabhas loves being called an action star and post the 90s and early 2000s, there has been a dearth of an out and out action phenomena in Bollywood as well. He fills that gap perfectly. People loved his stunts in Saaho and we aren't talking just about South.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2019 12:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).