Is this Baahubali The Eternal animation sequence ‘inspired’ by Kung Fu Panda? Director addresses claims

Director Ishan Shukla addressed claims that one sequence from his upcoming film Baahubali: The Eternal was inspired by Kung Fu Panda. Here's what he said.

Director and animator Ishan Shukla, the man behind the upcoming animated film, Baahubali: The Eternal, has responded to comparisons between his film and Kung Fu Panda. When the teaser for the film was attached to Baahubali: The Epic, people thought a particular sequence in the film was inspired by Kung Fu Panda. Here’s what he said.

Comparisons were drawn between one sequence in Baahubali: The Eternal and Kung Fu Panda.

Is Baahubali The Eternal sequence inspired by Kung Fu Panda?

Ishan held an AMA on Reddit, and questions poured in for the animator. One question was, “The sequence where Indra and the red monster-like character fight, some bits, like the pillars being thrown and the red character trying to climb up from one end. And the frame of all the pillars being stuck to the character - these looked inspired from certain King Fu Panda scenes - like the Jailbreak and Bridge fight. Thought these were cool homages.”

The director claimed in his response that he had never watched Kung Fu Panda but was aware of these comparisons. “I have not seen this Kung Fu Panda but I am aware of the comparison. I think you are drawing similarities because both have an aerial fight with floating debris. This floating debris has a very specific meaning in the story. You will see!” replied Ishan.

The director also confirmed that the team behind Spiderverse and Arcane was working on Baahubali: The Eternal, writing, “It is true that Alcyde, one of the studios behind the Eternal War has artists that worked on projects like Spiderverser and Arcane.”

About Baahubali: The Eternal

Baahubali: The Eternal features events that take place after Mahendra Baahubali’s death in the Baahubali films. The film features him facing off against Lord Indra for an unknown reason. Presented by SS Rajamouli and produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, the film has a story by Ishan and Sowmya Sharma. Madan Karky and Deva Katta have written the Tamil and Telugu dialogues. It will be released in theatres in 2027.