When watching Baahubali, one would definitely be tempted to draw comparisons with ’The Lord of the Rings’. This film is director SS Rajamouli’s vision transformed to celluloid. I had watched the first part released in 2015 with rapt attention and although I would say the second part - ’Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ lives up to the hype, it does fall a tad short of the class of its first part. Nonetheless, the sheer magnificence and scale of the film manage to overwhelm the audience.
I was beyond impressed with the acting skills of the lead characters. Perhaps Tamannaah as Avanthika was the only one with very little to do onscreen. Anushka Shetty as the fiery princess Devasena left me in awe. Rana Daggubati in the role of the villain Bhallaladeva delivers with panache. I was more impressed with Prabhas in the character of Amarendra Baahubali than his son, Shivudu. Needless to say he excels in both, and has become a sensation across the nation and abroad. Ramya Krishnan, in the role of rajmata Sivagami, impresses as the mother torn between her love for her sons and her duty to the kindgom of Mahishmati. Sathyaraj as Katappa is fantastic as the slave trapped between his unwavering loyalty to the royal family and affection for Baahubali.
Why did Katappa kill Baahubali? This was the question that haunted the nation for roughly two years, with fans waiting in eager anticipation, and Baahubali 2 delivers a more or less satisfactory explanation for it. So, I would say the gap between the two films was worth the wait.
The film has some lovely songs in tune with the theme, and I particularly loved the title track and "Hamsa Naava" ("Veero ke Veera" in Hindi). I don’t think anyone could have done more justice to the film’s music than the legendary M.M.Keeravani. You will find the songs and tunes playing in your mind long after you have left the theater.
The war scene at the end was amusing since no one knew until watching the film that coconut trees were so flexible. Though the conclusion was predictable as the victory of good over evil, we as the audience watch in delight simply because of the director’s brilliant execution of the story. The cinematography is top notch as well.
In conclusion, one can only say that what makes Baahubali 2 a visual spectacle is the CGI with the VFX shots. SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus, with its world-class special effects, is not just India’s most expensive film but also an eye-opener for Bollywood which should have tried its hand at such films sooner. Whether or not, it is India’s answer to’The Lord of the Rings’ can be best answered by those who have watched both. I would dare not venture into that. The bottom line is that Baahubali is an epic beautifully sketched on celluloid and the hype surrounding this film is unlikely to die down anytime soon.