Director: SS Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Sathyaraj, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia
No one has ever witnessed anticipation and curiosity of this magnitude for a film before ‘Baahubali 2’. It might be the grandest film in the history of South Indian films but it is no where close to the territory of logic. Directed by SS Rajamouli, the film is high on melodramatic expressions, larger-than-life action sequences and a stupid logic behind the biggest question the nation has been pondering on- why Kattappa killed Baahubali? Not that the reviewer intends to reveal the plot, but, just to warn you all, the end may not surprise you as much as you may expect.
Shivagami (Ramya Krishnan) is the highest authority of Mahishmati kingdom. She announces Baahubali (Prabhas) as the next king of the dynasty in the wake of growing tension between Baahubali and his elder brother Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati), with the latter even standing against his own sibling. Amid all the family chaos, Bhallaladeva falls in love with Devasena (Anushka Shetty), queen of a prestigious dynasty. However, she is in love with Baahubali.
Soon after Baahubali gets to know that Shivagami wants Devasena to get married to Bhallaladeva, he sacrifices his kingdom and marries Devasena. The two leave the palace to live happily ever after but destiny had its own game plan.
‘Baahubali 2’ has all the ingredients of a potboiler. One beauty and two beasts, conspiracy to acquire the kingdom, sacrifice for loved ones and much more. However, the film is quite weak on its plot. It is just a run of the mill tale of love and power. The film surely has high octane action sequences and noticeable visual effects.
The runtime of the film is the biggest distraction. First half is dedicated entirely to the brewing romance between Baahubali and Devasena, with two lengthy songs prolonging the agony even further. The length of the film could have been easily reduced. Second half is slightly engaging but just not enough as the plot is too predictable. No doubt, the film looks grand and for the way the war sequences have been shot, the crew deserves credit. Brownie points to the technicians for their commendable work with the VFX.
Director SS Rajamouli has surely made a masterpiece but don't expect logic to be at the centre of things. His command over the craft of filmmaking is clearly visible in the way he has handled this magnum opus.
The reviewer feels that one should learn the tactics of positioning an average film in the market from the team of ‘Baahubali’. Especially when masterminds like Karan Johar and Anil Thadani are backing the project, the film is bound to win. They played smart in generating curiosity amongst fans, predominantly through the massive hype generated via social media, to witness the conclusion. ‘Baahubali’ is a smartly placed film, but not a very well made one. Thanks to the aggressive marketing, smaller filmmakers did not dare to release their films around this week or coming weeks and that’s plain disheartening to see. But, sadly, this is how the film business functions.
Prabhas is totally a stunner all through. Pulling such a huge war-love saga on his own shoulders isn't an easy task. Ramya steals the show as the mother of the dynasty. Rana Daggubati remains successful in making you feel disgusted by his cruel villain act. Anushka Shetty is pretty and does a fair job. Tamannaah Bhatia has nothing much to do in this part though her one war scene is interesting in the climax.
Overall, ‘Baahubali’ is just an overrated piece of art but, at the same time, holds good entertainment value for the ardent fans of the franchise. Few films outlive reviews and ‘Baahubali 2’ is one of them.
