A COLOSSAL ENTERTAINER
(By Subbaram Danda)
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| Amarendra Bahubali teaching archery to Devasena. |
BAHUBALI - 02 : THE CONCLUSION is a
grand spectacle of gigantic proportions.
Lavish sets, exotic locations and splendid graphics make the film a
cinematic extravaganza. Bizarre battle
scenes, blood curdling fights and frenzied heroic deeds come out vividly
alive. Glitzy dances, tuneful songs and
catchy lyrics add a touch of romance to the action-oriented fast-paced three-hour
show. The movie dazzles, mesmerises and
stuns the viewers.
My wife and I watched the Telugu
version of the film at a PVR cinema hall in the Grand Mall at Chennai’s southern
suburb of Velachery on May 2. To say the
least, we enjoyed it.
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| At the PVR cinemas, Velachery |
The picture succeeds BAHUBALI - 01: THE BEGINNING, which was a major hit a couple of years ago. It ended throwing up a teaser. Why
did most loyal and faithful warrior chief Kattappa (Satyaraj) kill Amarendra Bahubali
(Prabhas) of the royal family? This kept
the film-goers wondering. They eagerly looked forward to the sequel.
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| Amarendra Bahubali in one of his proud moments |
The story of the final part bristles
with twists and turns, intrigues and imponderables. At times it lacks in conviction. It revolves around two contenders to the
throne of the kingdom of Mahishmati -- cousins Amarendra Bahubali and
Bhallaladeva (Rana Daggubati). The two
covet Princess Devasena (Anushka Shetty) of another territory. However, Bahubali and Devasena hit it off. Also, the reigning Queen Mother Sivagami of
Mahishmati (Ramya Krishnan) favours Bahubali to the throne in view of his gallantry. But falling a prey to Bhallaladeva’s
machinations, she directs Bahubali to choose either love or crown. Bahubali prefers the hand of Devasena. Bhallaladeva ascends the
throne and manages to get Bahubali banished from the palace. He further prevails upon the queen to order over-faithful Kattappa to assassinate Bahubali. Bound by his word to serve the royalty under
all circumstances, Kattappa completes his job by stabbing him in the back. This part appears patently contrived and many
may not like it. The revenge scene unfolds
years later and is enacted by Amarendra’s son Mahendra Bahubali (Prabhas in a double
role). His soulmate is Avantika (Tamannah).
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| Devasena in a dance sequence |
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| The arena for the coronation of Bhallaladeva |
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| A part of the Mahishmati palace |
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| Kattappa stabbing Amarendra Bahubali in the back |
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| Bhallaladeva |
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| Mahendra Bahubali |
What makes the film succeed exceedingly well, despite the unconvincing and over-stretched storyline, is its glittering
package of bewitching visual effects. In the euphoria generated, the viewers remain completely awe-struck. While the first flick was a treat to watch,
the second is a feast to relish. One
should see it in a cinema hall with a modern wide screen and excellent
acoustics to savour its delights. The
emotions expressed by Ramya Krishnan, Anushka and Prabhas overwhelm the viewers. Satyaraj's performance is one of his career's best. Cinematographer Senthil Kumar has done a
marvellous job turning his frames into memorable images. Director S.S. Rajamouli merits all-out appreciation
for making his entire team toil willingly to produce a masterpiece.
The film opened on April 28, 2017 in over 9,000 screens nationwide, including 1,500 in just the two Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is in addition to overseas releases. The cash registers kept ringing and the box office collected a record Rs.125 crores on the first day itself. Even Bahubali-01, which garnered Rs.60 crore on the inaugural day, seems an underperformer now! Through its full run, the first part reportedly fetched Rs.600 crores and the sequel promises to rake in Rs.1,200 crores going by current trends.
The fantasy has unwittingly bagged another
trophy. It has proudly lifted the status
of the south Indian film industry to new heights of glory, smashing the
dominance of Bollywood not only in terms of collections but also in creating world-class
blockbusters.
May 02, 2017
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