Previously, SS Rajamouli's epic drama Baahubali-The
Beginning blazed across Indian screens and made every Indian ask, ''Why did
Kattapa kill Baahubali?” and finally, the answer is here in the form of
Baahubali-The Conclusion starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty,
Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj and others.
As per story, Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas) and Bhalla Deva (Rana
Daggubati) are cousins raised by the same mother, Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) who
is also the reigning Queen of Mahishmati. Amarendra is orphaned in his
childhood and despite the fact that Bhalla is her own son, the Queen wants to
crown Amarendra the King of Mahishmati because she feels that he has the true
makings of a ruler and patron. Bhalla is piqued. His father and he conspire to
overthrow Baahubali. And they use Kattappa (Sathyaraj) and the Sivagami as pawns
in their game.
Starting off from where the prequel concluded, Kattapa
starts reciting the tale of Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas) and Bhallal (Rana),
the crown princes of Mahishmati. When the queen (Ramya) decides to crown
Baahubali as the king instead of the alleged rightful successor Bhallal, the
latter decides to seize the throne at any cost, setting the stage for
treachery, deceit and civil war.
Baahubali, while travelling secretly in his kingdom to learn
more about his subjects, comes across Devsena (Anushka Shetty), an aggressive
warrior-princess who he promptly falls for. But, this complicates the state of
affairs at Mahishmati, leading to the exile of Amarendra and his bride Devsena
by the queen, who crowns Bhallal as the king. On realizing that the people in
the kingdom still worship Amarendra Baahubali, Bhallal decides to kill his
cousin brother in order to abolish any potential threats to his sovereignty.
What happens next? How does Bhallal manage to defeat Amarendra? Will his son
Mahendra Baahubali revenge his father's death?
Baahubali has been sketched out as such a symbol of strength
and supremacy that he makes you root for him throughout. Prabhas is great as
father and son. Prabhas, who plays the central role, deserves due appreciation
for his role as Baahubali, a character which will remind you of heroes straight
out of mythological epics- Baahubali is as noble as Rama, as strong and ferocious
as Bhima and as gallant as Arjuna. Prabhas completely owns the role and is a
sheer delight to watch, whether he is romancing a princess or crushing his enemies
with an impressive fierceness. Rana, who plays the opponent Bhallal, has such a
strong and striking physical presence that his mere glower will make you
shiver. Anushka Shetty, Ramya and Sathyaraj are reliable enough and provide competent
support to the story.
Film Baahubali-The Conclusion was a praiseworthy successor
to 'Baahubali-The Beginning'. The film has elements of 'Mahabharata' (Kattapa
brings to mind Bhishma while the rivalry between Baahubali and Bhallal has the
same intensity of that between Bhima and Duryodhana), but despite this… or
maybe because of this, the movie not only captures your attention throughout
but also makes it reasonably relevant.
Indian movie lovers must salute Rajamouli for his vision and
determination. He once again gives us a magnificent visual treat with engaging
screenplay. Of course it is CGI and VFX that grab you in your seat, but
Baahubali also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The romance between
Devasena and Amarendra has the Titanic type passion. While the acts of the lead
cast are all convincing.
The movie is so grand, so larger-than-life and so visually engaging
that you will be imprisoned in your seats from the opening credits onwards. It
is obvious that a lot of hard work and effort has gone into every frame. The
cinematography, the special effects and the choreography of the war scenes are completely
breathtaking and will bring to mind Hollywood hits like 'Troy' or '300'.
Overall, film Baahubali-The Conclusion is praiseworthy to
watch for larger-than-life characters, eye-catching special effects and
powerful performances.
