The most expected movie of the year is here and it can’t get any bigger than this. Baahubali 1 (Baahubali: The Beginning) made it pretty clear that the motive was not to go huge on budget but to go higher on quality and Baahubali 2 (Baahubali: The Conclusion) reaffirms it. While I was seeing reviews across social media with the words in caps stating ‘Spoiler free review’, I was wondering what’s there to spoil in this film. Those who had watched the first part giving importance to the ‘not so important’ scenes and grasping the dialogues would know exactly how this sequel will end. And that’s exactly what happens. So what’s the fuss about a film that can be easily be brushed below the carpet like a few specs of small stones as yet another good-wins-over-evil flick? Those stones we’re talking about are precious gems that now adorns the crown of Indian cinema. Long story short, it’s the presentation, the quality, the magnitude and the sheer size of this project makes it the biggest film in recent years.
The plot is very simple. The film begins from where the first part ended, Katappa (Sathyaraj) continuing the flashback of Baahubali (Prabhas) to the latter’s son Shivudu (Prabhas again). He tells him how his father married Maharani Devasena (Anushka) and ended up as a foe to his brother Pallvalthevan (Rana). He also ‘reveals’ why he had to kill Baahubali himself, thereby putting a rest to the ‘Why Katappa killed Baahubali’ question. Post that how Shivudu takes revenge on his uncle forms the rest of the plot.
The film is obviously huge in magnitude and as Rajamouli had stated in previous interviews, apart from a few scenes, it’s hard to fathom what’s VFX and what’s real. Despite being so, the actors still shine with their performance. I loved Prabhas in the first part for the way he showed differences in both the characters. While Shivudu was a simple young man who’s getting to know things that are going to change his life, Baahubali is a man who knows exactly who he is and had his own style and mannerisms. This continues in Baahubali 2 too and you can’t help but adore the Baahubali character. Rana fits in perfectly once again as the antagonist and despite being a hero in his own rights in the Telugu industry, the sheer villain-ism he brings to the table is something terrific. Anushka steals the show in the flashback sequences and it’s been a while since she was shown this beautiful in recent times. Both Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj get more screen time in this film and they prove once again on why they’re veterans in the industry.
Rajamouli succeeds in a number of things as far as this franchise is concerned. Casting is what we can start with. While it looks intentional to choose actors from different languages to cater to the Pan-Indian audience, he has chosen the best of the lot and there are no weaklings whatsoever in the cast. He’s a master story teller and what sets him apart is his ability to include small sequences that ends up becoming jaw dropping scenes in what would be a predictable shot. Sabu Cyril proves to be the master with the production design and VFX does the rest of the job neatly. The screenplay is written in such a way that the film’s pace slowly gains momentum to end in a spectacular finish. A few directorial touches is the icing on the much decorated cake that provoked a smile on the face of film lovers like me.
Just like the previous film in this franchise, the first half starts slow and the story takes its time to unravel. The difference between the two must be the fact that while the first was a commercial war/action film, this one is much more dramatic, emotional and rooted. Despite having less action sequences, whatever’s there is mind blowing.
The film isn’t flawless. Some VFX shots could’ve been better. Apart from the ‘Bale Bale Bale Baahubali’ track in the voice of the legendary Daler Mahndi, none of the other songs sound worth remembering. Such a big film having lip-sync issues was quite disheartening. The film should’ve at least had a ‘U/A’ certificate rather than the ‘U’ that it has got. While the director has taken his creative liberty in a few scenes and considering the genre they’re acceptable, some are just too unbelievable. Probably expecting a little bit of logic in this genre proves my silliness but don’t even get me started on that scene where soldiers catapult themselves to the top of the castle using trees.
Overall, Baahubali: The Conclusion doesn’t just live up to the expectation but also surpasses it. The way it’s taken easily blinds away the minute issues in the film making it an enjoyable watch.
My rating:- 3.75/5
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