Rating :
IMDb : 9.4/10
BookMyShow : 8.9/10
Review
A giant, golden statue of King Bhallala Deva is being erected in
capital city of Mahishmati. Hundreds of slaves pull the multi-tonne
monument, in an effort to erect it. One slave, old and exhausted,
collapses and there's a domino effect. The half-raised statue starts
falling, threatening the lives of a cluster of commoners who will be
crushed if it falls to the ground. Just when it seems they're doomed,
the statue halts in its descent. One man has picked up the fallen rope.
One man with crazy biceps. The gathered crowd roars its thanks. Mr.
Crazy Biceps grins and tugs the statue a little closer to standing
upright.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is not Sparta. This is Baahubali
Director
SS Rajamouli has done some remarkable things with this monumental film,
which is the first of a two-part tale. One, he's made a film that
actually gets better after intermission. Two, he's given us a new epic
with Baahubali. Yes, the cast is dressed like characters in Amar
Chitra Katha, but this isn't a reinterpretation of Mahabharata or a
retelling of Ramayana. V. Vijayendra Prasad has written a whole new and
original epic that doesn't borrow too obviously from our favourite Hindu
epics. Here, we see (mostly) new gods and new heroes who are not bland
replicas of mythological heroes.
Our hero is Shiva (Prabhas), a
prince who is smuggled out of his kingdom and raised by a different
tribe. He grows up not knowing his lineage, but acquires some serious
rock-climbing skills. If his wooing techniques are any indication,
lurking under his hulking physique is an aspiring tattoo and make-up
artist. In the first half of Baahubali, we see Shiva scampering
up a mighty waterfall and pursuing the feisty Avanthika (Tamannaah), who
is part of a rebel group that lives in a hideout, high up in the
mountains. She is possibly the worst assassin in the history of all
time, given how she doesn't notice minor details like Shiva's bulked-up
self lying on a branch above her, painting paisleys on her shoulder.
Then again, you know what they say — love is blind.
Shiva is
besotted by Avanthika and so he marks her as his own by discreetly
painting tattoos on her. Later, when they finally lock eyes on one
another, he subjects her to a Zorro-inspired striptease (mythical
rebel heroines have nice underwear. In satin, no less) and in a
flourish that will make stylists clap delightedly, Shiva turns
Avanthika's green dhoti into a red skirt-type-thing. Avanthika sees
herself post-makeover and sensibly decides Shiva is a keeper. Meanwhile
in Mahishmati, King Bhallala Deva (Rana Dagubatti) shows off his
rippling shoulder muscles and takes a giant bull by the horns,
literally.
As might be evident, the first half of Baahubali
isn't exactly riveting. It teeters between funny, spectacular and
tragic, depending upon how keen-eyed the viewer is and how much acting
is required of the cast. You can tell the shooting has spread over the
better part of two years because the continuity is inconsistent. For
instance, Shiva has armpit hair in one shot and in the next second, he's
been depilated comprehensively.
However, Rajamouli is hoping what his VFX team has dreamed up as the imaginary terrain of Baahubali
will blind the viewer to the film's weaknesses and to a large extent,
this tactic works. The CGI landscape, like the waterfalls and the rather
magnificent Mahishmati, are spectacular. There are a few laughable
spots, but they are few and far between. While Baahubali doesn't
feel as real as Middle Earth, it is a beautifully-imagined fantasy
landscape that has been rendered in impressive detail, particularly by
Indian standards.
In fact, the fake waterfall and city are more
convincing than the real humans. Tamannaah confirms that she is an
abysmally bad actress. As far as this reviewer is concerned, Prabhas is
marginally better, but those who aren't inclined towards being
distracted by shirtless, well-built men may disagree.
Fortunately,
Prabhas entirely redeems himself with the fight sequences and stunts
that he performs. There's an air of Rajinikanth to the actor, right down
to the goofy grin. Dagubatti has little to do except flex his muscles
and smoulder from time to time, which he does ably. The two actors who
do actually do some acting are Ramya Krishnan and Sathyaraj, both of
whom play important secondary roles.
It's post-intermission that Baahubali
really comes into its own. Shiva is told the story of his father,
Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas in a double role), and his cousin, Bhallala
Deva. They are princes in the royal family of Mahishmati, which faces
multiple crises. Chaos is avoided when Bhallala's formidable mother
Sivagami (Ramya Krishan) takes charge. However, when a murderous army
lands up at Mahismati's borders, it is time for the two princes to take
centre stage and they do so in a fantastically choreographed battle that
unfurls over more than 30 minutes.
This battle is Rajamouli's
tour de force. It's elaborate, well-choreographed and has some
breathtaking moments. Prabhas and Dagubatti are both in their elements
as the warriors who approach warfare in two distinctive styles. The
outcome of the battle is no surprise, but there are enough clever
tactics and twists to keep the audience hooked. The biggest surprise,
however, lies in the film's final shot, which gives you a glimpse into
the sequel that will come out next year. And it's good enough to make
you wish 2016 was here already.
Till then, stock up on popcorn and be ready to unleash your catcalls for Baahubali.
About Anirudh
This young man has worked on web development since he was 13 years old, and has become quite talented, and has been requested to make many other sites. As a result, he has become a web entrepreneur , earning money and step by step making his goal and dream of becoming famous for his works, come true.
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