When SS Rajamouli first announced that he is combining both parts of his blockbuster Baahubali and releasing it as one film, the audience kept scratching their heads. Is the filmmaker starting a new trend in film re-releases or is it some new film experiment? In fact, the film was even released with a new name - Baahubali: The Epic, which further added to the hype.
Baahubali is known for its grandeur, its opulence. Many of the audience, who couldn’t watch either or both Baahubali films in theatres, can finally do so on the big screen. Since most of you have already watched the film, the question is: Is the Prabhas-starrer worth your time yet again? Are there edits or additions to the scenes? Let's find out.
Baahubali: The Epic Story
SS Rajamouli seamlessly blended Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) into one grand, immersive cinematic journey. Power-play and grandeur take over the big screen, this time too. Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas), a mighty warrior and king, falls prey to deceit and politics and is killed by his beloved ‘mama’ Katappa (Sathyaraj). For those unversed, it gave rise to the most-memed question: “Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyu maara?” If you haven’t watched the film yet, good time to know why.
Raaj maata Sivagami Devi (Ramya Krishnan) manages to save Amarendra’s son, Mahendra Baahubali (also played by Prabhas), before dying. Rana Daggubati, Amarendra Baahubali’s evil cousin, takes over the throne and turns his kingdom Mahismaati into a fear-mongering city. He captivates his brother’s wife, Devasena (Anushka Shetty), who is waiting for 25 years for her son’s return, so that she can avenge her husband’s death and the evil can fall to dust. Tammannah Bhatia plays a key role in the film. There’s much more to the story but that is primarily what you need to know.
Baahubali: The Epic Acting
When Prabhas walks into a battlefield wearing an armour made of iron and a throne in his head, you wish for a way to tell him to stick to epic roles only. His gaze, demeanour, dialogue delivery, look, everything about the film screams Prabhas. The film also couldn’t have a better Sivagami than Ramya Krishnan. Her eyes did all the acting. Sathyaraj as Katappa had one of the meatiest roles in the film after Prabhas. The film’s storyline couldn’t come to a full circle without him. Rana Daggubati as evil king Bhallaladev would make you hate him from your guts. And when the antagonist of a story manages to do so, you know it’s a job done well.
Anushka Shetty and Tammannah Bhatia, two of the film’s leading ladies, weren’t portrayed as princesses who hid behind closed doors during times of peril. In Rajamouli’s films, women are always empowered and equipped to tackle the evil on their own.
What have the makers edited out in Baahubali: The Epic?
Every scene in both Baahubali films is termed 'iconic'. So, how did the makers decide to edit an almost 7-hour film to 3.5 hours? That was a tough call. But SS Rajamouli weaved his cinematic brilliance into the film and cleverly included edited portions that no longer needed an expanded form. For instance, the love story, the tattoo scene between Prabhas and Tamannaah Bhatia was a key element of Baahubali: The Beginning. The makers cleverly compressed their love story with a narration, however, retained the Dhivara song.
Several elements from Prabhas’s love story with Anushka Shetty from the second part were also edited. Nora Fatehi-starrer Manohari and Kanha So Ja Zara tracks were also removed from the film.
What doesn’t work for Baahubali: The Epic
Baahubali: The Epic runs close to four hours, including an interval and ads. In today’s world of ever-shrinking attention spans, sitting through such a long film can be quite a task - especially when it’s something we’ve already watched before. Most people are returning to theatres this time purely for nostalgia, to relive the grandeur on the big screen once again.
The makers seem to know that well. They’ve smartly retained the songs and scenes that showcase the film’s massive scale and impressive VFX. For instance, while Kanha So Jaa Zara might be the more popular track, the team chose to drop it and keep O O Re Raja instead - mainly because the latter had more visual spectacle. It was also a practical call from the editor’s end, considering that VFX sequences cost significantly more to produce.
Why should people watch Baahubali: The Epic
If you are a Prabhas or Rajamouli fan, and have watched both films at home, Baahubali: The Epic demands a big screen watch. The VFX, background score, every experience is renewed once you enter the cinema hall and experience the magnum opus unfold before your eyes yet again, tugging at nostalgia, reminding you of a relatively simpler time when both films had first released back in the day.
Final verdict
If you are a hardcore Prabhas fan and feel that you’ve missed him on the big screen for sometime now, Baahubali: The Epic can totally be your weekend theatrical watch. However, you must ensure that you have plenty of time in your hand as sitting through the hall for over two hours is now a practice of the past.
For those who missed watching SS Rajamouli’s genius on the big screen and are interested in epic-dramas, the film surely demands your time in theatres - for the background score, and VFX that is way ahead of its time. For those waiting for the last nail in the coffin, aka, the final verdict - Baahubali: The Epic is truly worth all the hype.
