Finally, the answer to one of the most sought after questions is out after 21 months. To answer “Why Kattappa killed Baahubali?” spend three hours to watch the visual treat offered by S.S. Rajamouli and his team. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion is a complete visual extravaganza, with every frame exuding magnificence. Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) and Devasena (Anushka Shetty) dominate the three-hour show with their strong personalities. Kattappa (Sathyaraj) and Bijjaladeva (Nassar), through their expressions and extraordinary performance, are highly impressive. Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas)and Bhallala Deva (Rana Daggubati) are real malevolent characters.
The palace intrigue, back-stabbing, treachery, humour and romance blend together perfectly. While Baahubali: The Beginning was more of a visual spectacle, Baahubali 2 is where Rajamouli delves deep into the characters, each of them packed with emotional conflicts. These emotional conflicts intertwined with Bhallala Deva’s cruelty, his father Bijjala Deva’s cunningness, general Kattappa’s loyalty, Devasena’s self-respect and Sivagami’s error in making judgments brings out the story of the powerful Mahishmathi kingdom.
Right from the start, where it begins with Kattappa’s voice as he narrates the story of how Amarendra Baahubali was killed, to his son Mahendra Baahubali aka Shivu, Baahubali 2 promises to take the audience for an experience better than the first movie. In the first frame as Amarendra Baahubali tames the elephant, making way for his loving mother Sivagami, he becomes the superman of the people of Mahishmathi. And as he meets Devasena, there comes romance and humour. The director has carefully brought in humour and blends it well with the story and screenplay. Anushka with her charm fits perfectly in her powerful role as Devasena. She looks sharp contrast to her elderly mother looks in the first movie. Her agile, principled character, clubbed with the bow and arrow and her relationship with Baahubali, is the basis for the conflict and the plot in the 171-minute long screenplay.
More than Anushka, it is Ramya Krishnan, with her stellar performance who anchors the movie. Kudos to Rajamouli and his father and screen writer Vijayendra Prasad for creating the power-packed character of Sivagami. The face-off and the dialogues shared between these two strong-willed women get the emotional drama going stronger.
Rana Daggubatti as the cruel king looks like a real beast. His looks and anger, combined with his body language as he speaks, makes him the malevolent king compared to Amarendra Baahubali who is always people's king. Kattappa, the loyal general, is a completely different man compared to what we saw in Baahubali 1. His humorous moments with Amarendra Baahubali makes us laugh at the beginning of the movie. In the second half, again, Kattappa is a changed man. Nassar’s performance as Bijjala Deva, the cunning father of King Bhalla Deva is definitely worth a mention.
Production designer Sabu Cyril brings to life a magnificent kingdom. The beautiful palace, flying ships, swinging trees, running elephants and horses, the shattering chariot, the fall of the golden statue of Bhallala Deva, are truly Rajamouli’s soaring imaginations. All this will keep you gripped to your seats throughout the 171-minute screentime.
Film: Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishnan, Anushka Shetty, Sathyaraj, Nassar
Rating: 4/5
