Bahubali-Film Review of the Sequel

Hero-worship is not something I would recommend to anyone. But I am sorely tempted to recommend Devsena to you. And Kattappa. Why the two minor characters, you may ask, instead of the hero, Amarendra/Mahendra (though he fits his role to a T) or the Rajmata Shivagami? I will explain.

If you have to hero-worship, it need not be the guy who has the might, and therefore wins wars. Or the one who runs a kingdom on her whims (sometimes good, mostly bad as in most monarchies). It is those who are up against adverse circumstances, or deep dilemmas, and still come up trumps.

I would, in this edition of Bahubali, vote first for Devsena, who is the epitome of courage. She, more than anyone else, upholds values of a kind that need cherishing. Having the guts (multiple times) to challenge a Queen who at her whim can have her beheaded, requires a rare courage of conviction. Living through her husband being repeatedly humiliated, she still defies the high and mighty openly.

Second, Kattappa is also worthy of emulation. Second to none on the field of war, he is fiercely loyal to the promise his ancestors made, even when tested in the extreme. His role is actually the backbone of both the films, notwithstanding the fact that his killing Bahubali 1 became the talk of the town.

If you have to hero-worship, I would go for one of these two. The others were just doing their job. I am also happy to see an Indian film of the mind-boggling scale that this one has reached. That in itself is an achievement, in my view. Human emotions are also well-handled, an added  plus. No point making a recommendation, but I wouldn't mind a second viewing, just to enjoy the visuals. They are brilliant.

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