Is smoking slowly becoming a signature visual element in Prabhas’s on-screen image?

Both the stills of Spirit and Fauzi feature Prabhas with a cigarette between his lips. In Spirit, Triptii Dimri is seen lighting a cigarette for him, while in the fresh teaser of Fauzi,

Prabhas appears wielding a large-barrel weapon with a cigarette casually hanging from his mouth.

The striking similarity between these two raises an obvious question; why is smoking being repeatedly used to establish the superstar’s screen persona?

Of course, filmmakers may argue that these are creative choices intended to convey a character’s attitude, aggression or rebellious nature.

However, given Prabhas’s widely discussed off-screen smoking image, these portrayals may also invite audiences to draw parallels between the actor’s personal habits and his cinematic characters. Whether intentional or not, the repetition is difficult to ignore.

A superstar of Prabhas’s stature commands enormous influence, particularly among young fans. Filmmakers should therefore think carefully before repeatedly using cigarettes as a shortcut to portray toughness or swagger.

A character’s power should come from performance, not from a cigarette dangling between the lips.