A likely delight for those who enjoy visual acrobatics
BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION Direction: SS Rajamouli Actors: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathyaraj, Nassar
SS Rajamouli’s biggestbudget adventure, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, is a colossal and ambitious finale to the story of Baahubali, a feast of mythical cities and technical finesse.
Most importantly, the question of why Kattappa killed Baahubali has been answered.
The imaginary city of Mahishmati is richer and more fantastic in this sequel, with a glittering new waterside view.
There’s a lot more in this fairytale world too: A new city where Baahubali (Prabhas) meets his future wife, Devasena (Anushka Shetty); splendid war scenes featuring cattle with fire in their horns, eagles carrying messages and Disneyesque palatial ships that fly.
There is an anthem for Mahishmati as well.
In any movie of such extravagant scale, there is the risk that one faltering moment will shatter the illusion entirely. But Baahubali 2 never falters. Cinematography and CGI are flawless. The Conclusion begins seamlessly, just where it left off, with Kattappa narrating the story of Mahishmati.
Soon enough, Baahubali enters, to tame an elephant gone wild. He is greeted with cheers from the early-morning audience. Clearly Prabhas is now a superstar; even at 8.30 am the hall is full. The grim revenge drama is a bit slack in the first half; the long courtship episode with warrior princess Devasena doesn’t help; Kattappa turns into an archetypal comic sidekick.
The film gets its pace back and there are some brisk twists and turns involving a rejected marriage proposal, a new king and Baahubali being made army chief.
The cast is obviously in their element. Daggubati is marvellous as an all-powerful and commanding king; he holds up the tension of the plot beautifully. Ramya Krishnan is imposing and impressive as the queen mother Sivagami.
The other female leads, however, continue to disappoint. As in the first part, Princess Avanthika (Tamannah Bhatia) and Devasena both start off as ace warriors, only to have their characters tamed into stereotypical damsels in distress. Shetty still manages a strong performance, balancing eeriness and charm. All in all, Baahubali is likely to be a delight for those who enjoy visual acrobatics. If you’re looking for subtlety, intricacy of plot and raw talent, you might want to look elsewhere.