Sequels are a cursed breed. No matter how good—and usually they are not meritoriously unquestionable—they are compared unfavourably with the first film, unless it’s a rare case like Lage Raho Munnabhai or The Godfather 2 which were actually better than the first film.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion is a separate case. It is actually not a sequel, since both the films were shot simultaneously and released two years apart. Baahubali 2 is much bigger than the first film in every sense. It is far deeper and dreamier, drawing us into its magic and magnificence with a seamless swoosh that sucks us in. We fall into the ravine of ravishing courtly machinations with no desire to pull ourselves out of the hypnotic spell that Rajamouli casts on us. Before we know it, we have entered Rajamouli’s enchanting kingdom of Mahishmati where intrigue, treachery, passion and redemption straddle in a tight embrace, riding together in a chariot of ire that hurls across cinematic vistas never explored before.
By the time the enrapturing narrative actually arrived at the key plot point—why did Kattapa kill Baahubali?—we had forgotten that this question had haunted the nation for two years. There is much more to the second and, tragically, conclusive and concluding segment of the Baahubali saga than the Kattapa query. So much glory, grandeur, and above all, such spectral wisdom. By the time we finish watching Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, we are far better informed about human nature and its tendency to betray those whom we love the most.
During a conversation with the film’s mastermind, the mighty S. S. Rajamouli, he had said, “It’s very difficult to attribute the success to one single thing. I think it is the super strong characterisations and the drama among them which was told on a large scale. It’s not a one man’s success. If we believe in the content, emotion of the story, with hard work and dedication towards a single goal right from the core cast & crew to the light boy, the probability of success increases manifold!”
Having dedicated his life to creating the second part of the film, how did Rajamouli compare the second part with the first? “In the first part, we introduced the characters and showed the audience the taste of what’s going to come next. The high emotional drama between the characters will happen in the second film. The audience has been waiting for two years. They have a certain picture painted in their mind as to how Baahubali 2 is going to be. We are going to meet their expectations. And this is not a sequel where one film is different from the second film. It is one single story told in two different films. Definitely, the first film is a complement to the second one and it’s not a competition.”
Why did Kattapa kill Baahubali? This is the question that had become a national obsession! Rajamouli had laughed away the gravity of the question. “It was not a burning issue. We give too much importance to the power and reach of cinema. ‘Why Kattappa killed Baahubali’, it is just a way of fondly saying, ‘Hi, how are you. We have seen Baahubali and we have liked it very much and eagerly waiting to see why Kattappa killed Baahubali.’ So instead of talking so much, they just ask, ‘Why did Kattappa Kill Baahubali?’ We always feel very happy about it because every time people ask that question, we have a guaranteed ticket on the first day, first show for part 2.”
Rajamouli gave due credit to Prabhas for the way Baahubali had shaped up. “I’ve said this several times, that I couldn’t have made Baahubali without Prabhas’ dedication. He has dedicated his three-and-a-half-years to Baahubali. And it’s not just giving dates and giving time, it is about giving your heart for the film. Since the beginning of the film, he always used to say that, we are not just making a regional film, we are not just making a national film, we are making an international film. The standards are so high, the characters are so great and the story is so gripping. And that gives the whole unit a lot of energy. In the first part, like I said, we have just introduced the characters. Let it be Sivudu or Amarendra Baahubali, the emotions weren’t shown in part one. In part two, you see stronger emotions and varied colours of emotions played by Prabhas. And the strongest of emotions played in a subtle manner by Amarendra Baahubali, which I think is one of the biggest highlights of Baahubali: The Conclusion.”
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