Bahubali: movie review; Director: S.S.Rajamouli; Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Tamannah Bhatia, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj Sudeep, Adivi Sesh.
At over Rs 200 crore, Rana Daggubatti starrer Bahubali is India’s costliest and grandest film till date on both budget and scale. Bahubali – The Beginning, which is the first of a two part series, promises to be a saga is likely to go down in the annals of history. Here is why:
Starting off, the story of Bahubali follows the life of Sivudu (Prabhas) who lives a solitary life cut off from the rest of the civilization. Smuggled from his kingdom and raised by Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) in a different tribe, Sivudu fills his days scaling mountains, unaware of his noble lineage. On a fateful day Sivudu encounters Avanthika (Tamannaah Bhatia) who is a master assassin from a rebel group that intends on crushing King Bhallala Deva (Rana Daggubatti) of Mahishpati and rescuing Devasana (Anushka Shetty). However despite Shivudu understanding nothing of it, he decides to assist the rebels in their cause since he is smitten by the stunning Avantika. Setting off on his journey to fulfill Avantika’s duty, Sivudu moves towards fulfilling his own destiny as Bahubali and in process setting in motion a series of events that lead to the second chapter.
The first 30 or so minutes of the film go in detailing each character in Bahubali and the viewer is left dazed at the scale of the visual effects used. Despite being a bit slow, the story of Bahubali soon begins to pick up pace as it progresses to show Sivudu pulled towards his destiny by an inexplicable force. However, its post the interval that the film shines with riveting sequences and awe-inspiring action coupled with stunning and by far some of the most advanced visual effects. Director S. S. Rajamouli seems to have quite literally developed a definitive masterpiece. Bahubali is a thoroughly Indian film with its roots firmly planted in mythology, and yet progressive enough to refrain from the age old clichés.
Talking about the CGI used in the film, Bahubali is easily comparable to the Hollywood greats like The Lord Of The Rings series and even the Harry Potter series that featured entire towns, cities and regions artificially developed to look realistic. Compared to the usual Indian standard of CGI work in films, the effort and detail that went into making Bahubali is visibly evident in the stunning waterfalls and the spectacular city of Mahishmati.
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However, the high point of Bahubali comes in the form of the snowstorm that is seamlessly executed and the 30 minute long battle sequence that will leave the viewer stunned. This fantastically choreographed battle that unfurls when a murderous army lands up at Mahismati’s border sees the two brothers Sivudu and King Bhallala Deva joining forces to defeat a common enemy. Unquestionably the battle sequence that resides as the jewel in Rajamouli’s crown is elaborately shot with breathtaking moments. However, the biggest surprise lies in the end when Rajamouli gives the viewers a sneak peek into what to expect from the sequel.
Coming to the performances in the film, the casting of Bahubali is just perfect with every actor doing a brilliant job in their respective roles. Here a special mention goes to both Prabhas and Rana Daggubati, for some outstanding work, especially for Rana Daggubati who excels in portraying the angry smouldering eyed King Bhallala. Ramaya Krishnan, despite being in a supporting role manages to leave an impact. No Indian storyteller comes close to what S.S. Rajamouli envisions and executes on screen. Writers Madhan Karky, Rahul Koda, Vijayendra Prasad and S.S. Rajamouli have truly written and developed a masterpiece.
However, after watching the dubbed Hindi version of Bahubali one would say that filmmakers should avoid dubbing films in different languages, and instead release it with subtitles.
Bahubali is definitely not to be missed. Call it a box-office blockbuster today, but tomorrow, it will be remembered as a classic.
Rating: 3.5