Starring: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishnan, Nassar, Subbaraju
Directed by – S. S. Rajamouli
Produced by – Shobu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni, K. Raghavendra Rao
Screenplay by – S. S. Rajamouli
Story by – K. V. Vijayendra Prasad
Cinematography – K. K. Senthil Kumar
Edited by – Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Production house – AA Films, Arka Media
Here comes the most anticipated movie of the year. No wait, this was the most anticipated movie of 2016 but production delays pushed the release of Baahubali 2 well into 2017. But the wait and the mystery built up by SS Rajamouli and team have translated into one of the most colossal, extravagant productions Indian cinema has seen yet.
Baahubali 2 Plot
No, we’re not giving out any spoilers here. And despite the oft asked question about Kattappa killing Amarendra Baahubali, plot was never the strength of both the movies. SS Rajamouli doesn’t pretend otherwise.
Instead we have powerful characters – very strong, solid characters – that stand true to their nature at every turn. Let’s start with the two very leading men – Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas) and Bhallaldev (Rana Duggubati) – battling it out over the crown of one of the greatest empires, Maahismati. Then come Shivagami, the kingmaker, and her disabled and frustrated husband, Bijjaldev. These you have met in the first film. The second movie brings a new flavour that was unexpected but welcome – humour. We see more to Kattappa than a stoic slave. We see a superhot sizzling chemistry between Amarendra and Devasena (Anushka Shetty). Another very strong female lead who doesn’t flinch to step on the shoulders of her fiancé who is soon to be king or to declare (at the cost of committing treason) that her husband should be king. The rest of the story is a heady mix of love, betrayal, intrigue, hatred, and revenge set in Maahishmati and Kunthala kingdoms.
A Grand Visual Extravaganza
The plot follows well-anticipated lines, so much so that one may be left wondering what the mystery was all about. Baahubali 2 is not about its story, as we mentioned. It is about visual grandeur, about overwhelmingly large feat, and the creation of a grand legend. It is about visually enthralling storytelling skills.
Baahubali 2 is undoubtedly the grandiose vision of one man – SS Rajamouli but the man of the hour undoubtedly is Prabhas. It is easy to see why our hero has spent 5 years of his life on the franchise. The audience loves Amarendra Baahubali, much as the people of his kingdom. The superhuman yet benevolent prince who ultimately falls to intrigue is but one side of the coin. Son, Mahendra Baahubali aka Shiva is not quite the warrior his father was. The fact that both roles were played by the same actor seems incredible. Shiva grows to become Bhallaldev’s nemesis and with him grows our love of Baahubali. Not much of Tamannah is seen in this movie but Ramya Krishnana proves once again why she is one of the highly regarded actresses of South Indian cinema. Sathyaraj deserves a bow for playing Kattappa to perfection.
Baahubali 2 Music Review –
Much like the rest of the movie, the songs of Baahubali 2 are grand. MM Keeravani shows us what it is to take singers such as Daler Mehndi and Kailash Kher and produce songs very different from the genre they are used to. The result is a strikingly simple but at the same time sensational mix. Each song has been crafted to accent the emotions on screen – love, pride, pain, courage…if music could talk Keeravani’s songs would narrate an epic. Make no mistake, though. Like the songs of Baahubali: The Beginning, the songs of this film too are very melodious but have no place outside the movie itself.
Soundtrack List –
Jiyo Re Baahubali – 3:22
Singers – Daler Mehndi, Sanjeev Chimmalgi & Ramya Behara
Veeron Ke Veer Aa – 3:25
Singers – Aditi Paul & Deepu
Soja Zara – 4:51
Singer – Madhushree
Jay-Jaykara – 3:30
Singer – Kailash Kher
Shivam – 2:52
Singer – Kaala Bhairava
The Hindi album was released in early April 20147 by the zee music company. Hindi lyrics were all written by Manoj Muntashir (peppered generously with Sanskrit lyrics by Shivashakti Datta).
What’s Good, What’s Bad?
Baahubali is now a cult and millions of Indian film goers are its followers. Asking what’s good is like questioning the epics of India. Let’s try, though. The VFX that makes Baahubali a grand tale of royal settings, beautiful kingdoms, kings and queens, are bigger, better, and more extravagant in this sequel. The cast has been picked to perfection. Baahubali 2 is the result of a stupendous vision, the tireless efforts of hundreds of technicians and top-notch actors, and the love of millions of Indians. What could be better?
The climax, though anticipated, was slightly flat. The visual effects could have been fine tuned in a number of scenes, and the action was quite unbelievable at places. We were also disappointed over a few loose ends. For example, the promise of support by weapons trader Aslam Khan didn’t translate into much in this flick. Nor did we see more of Prabhas – Tamannah chemistry.
Our Verdict
Baahubali 2 is a must watch. For the grandiose visual effects, for the larger-than-life characters, for sheer entertainment value – it is worth the craze. Not only has “Why Kattappa Killed Baahubali?” been one of the most searched questions on the Internet from India, news reports over the past week have been revealing greater ticket costs and longer ticketing lines each day.
Baahubali is Indian cinema’s answer to the likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, 300, and Hercules. Giving it a miss seems almost sacrilegious. Besides, your family and friends are unlikely to forgive you.
Rating – ****
