Film Review- Baahubali the Beginning
My rating: 4 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Action
Duration: 2 hours 39 minutes
Language: Hindi
Certification: U/A (Parental guidance required)
Directed by: S.S Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tammanah, Ramya Krishnan, Satyaraj, Nassar.
Baahubali the Beginning sets the tone for what Indian filmmaking is capable of. It has an action-packed plot, spectacular special effects, and moving acting by its lead actors. At its heart, Baahubali the Beginning is about a succession battle between the titular character Baahubali (Prabhas), and his evil cousin, Bhalla Deva (Rana Dagubatti). But the spotlight of action is shared equally between Baahubali and his son, Shiva (Prabhas again); a meaty chunk of the plot is devoted to Shiva's discovery of his antecedents.
The film's greatest strength is its overall mood of compelling political intrigue. All the twists and turns in the plot have been derived from various Indian epics too numerous to list here. However, the plot still feels fresh and relatable as the emotions that drive the motives of its characters' actions are very plausible.
Baahubali the Beginning also deserves some brownie points for its portrayal of its female characters. Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan), Avantika (Tammanah), and Devasena(Anushka Shetty), are women who can rule like men, wield weapons like men, and show more grit than men in trying circumstances. But the 'romance' between Shiva and Avantika ( if it can be called that) just continues a dangerous tradition of creepy male behaviour in movies that passes off for wooing.
Had Baahubali's song-and-dance routines been edited out, the movie would have been much tauter. Nevertheless, sitting through its lengthy run-time is mostly worth it.
Genre: Fantasy, Action
Duration: 2 hours 39 minutes
Language: Hindi
Certification: U/A (Parental guidance required)
Directed by: S.S Rajamouli
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tammanah, Ramya Krishnan, Satyaraj, Nassar.
Baahubali the Beginning sets the tone for what Indian filmmaking is capable of. It has an action-packed plot, spectacular special effects, and moving acting by its lead actors. At its heart, Baahubali the Beginning is about a succession battle between the titular character Baahubali (Prabhas), and his evil cousin, Bhalla Deva (Rana Dagubatti). But the spotlight of action is shared equally between Baahubali and his son, Shiva (Prabhas again); a meaty chunk of the plot is devoted to Shiva's discovery of his antecedents.
The film's greatest strength is its overall mood of compelling political intrigue. All the twists and turns in the plot have been derived from various Indian epics too numerous to list here. However, the plot still feels fresh and relatable as the emotions that drive the motives of its characters' actions are very plausible.
Baahubali the Beginning also deserves some brownie points for its portrayal of its female characters. Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan), Avantika (Tammanah), and Devasena(Anushka Shetty), are women who can rule like men, wield weapons like men, and show more grit than men in trying circumstances. But the 'romance' between Shiva and Avantika ( if it can be called that) just continues a dangerous tradition of creepy male behaviour in movies that passes off for wooing.
Had Baahubali's song-and-dance routines been edited out, the movie would have been much tauter. Nevertheless, sitting through its lengthy run-time is mostly worth it.
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