Director/Screenwriter S.S. Rajamouli‘s epic tale begins as a villager rescues a tiny baby from the raging waters of a spectacular waterfall. The boy is raised by a surrogate mother and is given the name Shiva. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Shiva (Telugu actor Prabhas) yearns to know what lies atop the waterfall but all his attempts to climb it fail. One day, a devoted Shiva, desiring to make his mother happy, lifts a two-ton Shiva Linga (a stone idol) from its foundation and places it in the showers of the fall, a feat which brings proud blessings to his amazed mother and the villagers. Soon afterward, a wooden mask tumbles down from the top of the falls and lands at Shiva’s feet. Pulled by the call of destiny, Shiva tries the climb again. This time Shiva discovers a beautiful spirit who playfully encourages him all the way to the top of the mountain.
There, he finds a world of snow-capped mountains, forests and lakes, caves, and the majestic city of Mahishmati. Exploring the new world, Shiva comes upon a fierce female warrior, Avanthika (Tamannaah), who resembles the spirit that led him up the mountain. She is leading enemy soldiers into a trap that she has laid for them. Shiva is smitten. They soon become lovers, and Shiva takes on Avanthika’s mission of saving Queen Devasena (Anushka Shetty), who has been held captive for 25 years by the evil Bhallala Deva (Rana Dugubatti), ruler of Mahishmati. Shiva covers his face and sneaks into Mahishmati, where the unhappiness of its citizens strikes him.
Shiva is filled with compassion when he finally sees Devasena, who believes that her son, Baahubali, will one day rescue her. As the story unfolds, you may have guessed that Shiva will be revealed as Devasena’s son, the rightful heir to the throne of Mahishmati which was stolen from him when he was still a newborn. Flashbacks reveal the history of the city, where Shiva’s father and Bhallala Deva’s father compete to save the kingdom in an epic battle with savages.
S.S. Rajamouli has created a spectacular universe in “Baahubali,” played out in the awesome natural beauty of waterfalls, rivers, forests, and mountains, or an astonishingly detailed urban metropolis. At its’ heart, “Baahubali” is a simple story of good versus evil and kindness versus cruelty. The tale is told in a distinctly Indian way showing the strongest of bonds in a mother’s love for her son; traditions carried out generation after generation even when they no longer serve any good purpose; the simplicity and innocence of young love; and the superhuman heroes and heroines that legends are made of. The story gets a little complicated as different characters are introduce going back in time one or two generations.
Prabhas and Rana play dual roles as their own fathers. At the center of the action, Prabhas is a close to perfect hero. Prabhas (Shiva) is handsome, agile, and adventurous, with a joyous smile and a playful nature. Tall and well-built, Prabhas is a natural at any physical challenge, be it mountain climbing, horseback riding, acrobatic feats, swordplay, and, of course, beating bad guys to a pulp. Did I mention that Shiva/Baahubali dances spontaneously for joy when his mother is happy, and he has a creative side that tattoos and gives wardrobe makeovers? The women of “Baahubali” are awesome. From Shiva’s surrogate mother Sanga (Rohini), always worried about her son’s safety; to feisty and devoted, Avanthika (Tamannaah) who is fearless and brave, an intelligent warrior and a very feminine woman at the same time; to Devasena (Anushka Shetty) who has held on to the hope that her son will rescue her for twenty-five years; finally, the queen mother Sivagami (Ramya Krishnan) strong and authoritative enough to hold a kingdom together and who will eventually give her life saving Shiva.
Rana Dugubatti is Prabhas’ equal physically, but he has rougher edges and no refinement as suits his character, Bhallala Deva. Preoccupied with his own brute strength, he is building a huge golden statue of himself, so future generations will remember him. He controls his people through cruelty and fear. He has been groomed for his reign by his most evil father, Bijjala Deva (Nassar). Warrior slave Katappa (Sathyaraj), serving a king he hates due to family tradition, rounds out the list of main characters.
The score by M.M. Keeravani gives the story an epic feel, and in several of the songs the music and the action combined so wonderfully, it was poetry in motion. Visually, ‘Baahubali” is breathtaking. FX-effects create a lush natural world and enhance action sequences for dramatic effect. It is the most expensive Indian movie ever made. The film was simultaneously being shot in Telugu and Tamil and dubbed into Hindi. “Baahubali: The Beginning” will be followed by “Baahubali: The Conclusion” in 2017.
