Baahubali 2 movie cast: Prabhas, Rana Dagguabti, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar
Baahubali 2 movie director: SS Rajamouli
Baahubali 2 star rating: 2 stars
For three years the nation has been wanting to know, the hysteria increasing with every passing day: why did Kattappa kill Bahubali? Smart viewers would probably have guessed the answer, but given that Baahubali 2 was made expressly for that purpose, we duly give it our time and attention.
We get the answer, but after long, infernally silly romantic interludes: romance is not really SS Rajamouli’s strength. And everything after the big reveal, which really isn’t half as big as was promised, seems like anti-climactic excess. At the end of nearly three hours, I can tell you that the second part is not half as satisfying or fun as the original.
And the reason is clear: Sequelitis.
The first time around the hijinks that Rajamouli created were astonishing, both in terms of scale and setting and story telling. I was blown away by the sheer confidence and the conviction of the film-making. And it finished on a great hook, with THAT question which we got to take home, and which got us swarming into theaters with so much excitement.
But what took our breath away in 2014 is same old in 2017. Yes, it is bigger, but it is not better. And it feels much louder. Not just the background music but the pitch at which the declamatory dialogues are delivered is deafening: there were times I felt like closing my ears.
The clash between Bahubali (Prabhas) and Bhallala (Rana Dagubatti) is the fulcrum around which the film revolves. As we know from the first part, Bahubali is the good guy, the rightful heir to the throne, and will save his kingdom from the evil Bhallala, come what may.
The regal queen Sivagami (Ramya) is as commanding as ever, presiding over the fate of the two men, as well as the fiery princess Devasena (Anushka Shetty). Nassar’s wily old king is craftier, and Kattapa (Sathyaraj), that faithful retainer who is forced into the terrible murder, is as loyal as ever.
But we’ve seen it all. Only in some places when the battle scenes and the fighting is choreographed beautifully and with great energy do you sit up and watch with interest. A couple of times you laugh out loud in appreciation at the sheer spectacle: thousands upon thousands of soldiers, a vista that fills the eye and more, and a hero cleaving through, his eye on the win.
And that brings me to Prabhas, the only one who doesn’t drown in familiarity. He plays Bahubali, he of great strength, with as much verve and vigour as in the first part. Striding across the screen, his ‘dhoti’ and vest and armour all in the right place, he comes across as the perfect action hero, complete eye candy, and the biggest strength of the film.
I enjoyed the first part enormously. Baahubali The Conclusion comes to life only intermittently. Leaving the theatre, you can’t help wishing that Kattapa had killed the fellow earlier, for us to get a tighter, more economical and perhaps sharper conclusion.
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