Baahubali 2 – The Conclusion (Tamil, 2017)

Prabhas as Amarendra Baahubali in the flashback sequences and Shivudu aka Mahendra Baahubali in the contemporary sequences exudates unparalleled machoism, exemplary charm and authentic aristocratism. Be it the sword-wielding, arrow-shooting, spear-thrusting warrior prince or the angry young man looking to avenge his father’s death and mother’s misery, he is an epitome of allure and bravado. His swagger reaches supreme peaks with every passing frame.Anushka Shetty as Devasena doesn’t just come across as Prabhas’ love interest but also as the sword-wielding and self-esteem-filled royal princess. Her chemistry with Prabhas is one of the many highlights of this brilliant portrayal. The archery sequences of the couple deserve a very special mention.

Rana Daggubati is by no means a pushover even though he is the baddie in this magnum opus.He matches Prabhas in every sense and kudos to Rajamouli for carefully sculpting both these roles. Watch out for those close-up shots where his acting skills light up the screen.Sathyaraj as the ever loyal warrior slave Kattapa, Ramya Krishnan as the upright Raja Matha Sivagami, Nasser as the conniving uncle, Tamannaah & Penmatsa Subbaraju complete the ensemble cast.

Every frame and scene has S.S. Rajamouli’s signature stamped all over it. The VFX is almost believable and an experience to be savored in theatres, be it the jaw-dropping stunt sequences or the heart-melting romantic capers. One can without doubt declare that he is one of the very few directors who can pull off something of this magnitude without a blemish.

M.M. Keeravani’s songs and BGMs are a class apart. At no juncture does one feel that the songs have been thrust onto their faces or the BGM overshadows the mood of the film. Another feather in the cap of this veteran!

Despite the ingredients that would make this a cult classic, the time trodden storyline of deceit-revenge makes the story-telling a tad predictable and patchy CG at places are off-putting in an otherwise uncompromising grand visual extravaganza.