They are saying that it’s
the biggest blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema, 200 Crores in 5 days,
300 in 9, and the film marches on, irreverently toppling every box office
record in its wake!.
For me its success was
underlined by the comment my mother made as we walked out of the theater, ‘I could
see this one again’, she said! And that in fact was a sentiment I shared with
her! It is a film one wishes to see again, its succeeds in creating a cinematic
experience that transports one to the time and space unfolding on screen, a
place one wishes to revisit, and the multiple nuanced references to mythology
and world cinema, too many for the mind to grasp and for memory to retain in
one sighting!
At the beginning of #Baahubali – The Beginning, we’re shown the lay
of the land. This kingdom lies here, that one there. It’s nothing new as an
idea – we saw this in Lagaan, for instance.
But look what the director, #Rajamouli, does,( and this is his film, he is brilliant!!), He renders the map in three dimensions and
follows it all the way to a waterfall, which morphs into an actual waterfall – and what a splendid waterfall
it is. We see the #Ramya Krishnan character running towards us clutching an
infant – but as she moves past us, we see the arrow sticking out of
her back. We see #Ballardev (Rana Daggubati) preparing for a fight with a
bison-like animal – but it’s only when man and beast are in the same frame that
we register how big the animal is, what a monster it is, that it is not quite
like any animal we see, only adding to the aura of the scene.
There’s a wonderful
revelation at the end involving Kattappa (#Sathyaraj), who has the most moving
part and aces it), and it sets up Part II of the film (expected next year)
wonderfully – but otherwise, this is not the kind of movie you watch for the plot.
Baahubali,
seen as just a story, is as old as the hill that Sivu (Prabhas) wants to climb.
The film takes us back to an era of palace intrigues and deliverer myths, But
Rajamouli makes us feel we’ve never seen anything like it. It’s part Cecil B DeMille and the grandeur of
Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. Even Tolkien is in here somewhere. Along with a
kitchen sink full of masala tropes: the long-suffering mother,
brothers-turned-enemies, flashbacks and double roles. All updated with six-pack
abs, computer-generated effects and eye-popping visuals. Cinematographer KK
Senthil Kumar and production designer Sabu Cyril are practically flawless.
Avantika (#Tamannaah), looks
ethereal in white flowing diaphanous robes, literally descending from the
heavens to take Sivu up towards the skies and his goals, like an Indian ‘apsara’
doing her areal act in a Jacky Chang film. She actually plays a guerrilla
warrior and one of Rajamouli’s achievements is that he makes us buy Tamannaah as this warrior. For, her face
shows character. And the
mandatory love scenes are delightfully reimagined. There’s a bit that has to do
with underwater calligraphy.classic taming-of-the-There’s a superb romantic scene whose centerpiece
is a snake twined around an arrow, all very pretty and very different from the
usual fare. however the romance is rough, and that is mu sole complaint with the film. Sivu proceeds to make Avantika aware of her femininity by literally stripping her of the perceived trappings of masculinity, her warrior attire. why was that necessary? after all the director makes a bold assertion about the possibility of feminine power in the character of Shivagami , who literally walks in on a group of men challenging the structure of power in the kingdom, holding a nursing infant and walks out having established herself as the supreme ruler of the realm, still holding on to the nursing infant. 'Those who are with me , come stand behind me', she says, the men snigger, "who will stand behind a woman?" she comes away powerful from that encounter, Durga like, invincible. why then does the Director depict romance and its acceptance as forced upon a woman? or is he simply bowing to viewer appeal? sad that, whatever the answer to that question is.
Prabhas as this savior, has the physicality, essential for the
part. As the film’s title suggests, he’s strong. He keeps lifting things – a
giant lingam, a giant
boulder on a mountain, a giant statue. (In the Marvel universe, he’d be called
Hoist Man.) And he acquits himself well in the action scenes – the one where he
grabs a sword from its scabbard, in midair, is why wolf
whistles were invented, and, in addition, Prabhas looks like a soft romantic
lead, especially when compared to the oak-like Daggubati, who looks like he was
nursed by a dragon. The contrast is deliberate and indicative of character reinforced by #Sivagami’s selection of the
kind hearted Bahu over the ruthless Bhallar, the difference between the benevolent king
and the single minded General. #Ramya’s character is modeled after the Goddess the kingdom
worships, her posture, her stances even the manner in which she sits on the
throne and occupies authority rather than naked power, a magnanimity of thought
woven in with immense strength, virtue, defining and legitimizing the position
she occupies. The classic good vs evil tale told by #Rajamouli on a scale that’s
epic in proportions! This isn’t just about grandeur in visuals. It’s about
grandeur in ideas. If DeMille’s
saviour, in The Ten Commandments,
was transported in a basket as a baby, Rajamouli has the child held aloft by a
hand amidst swirling waters
Everything is reinvented,
Sivu,tells Avantika that he was ‘just a boy telling a woman that he loves her’,
that reminded me of Julia Roberts in #NothingHill, telling Hugh Grant that she
was just a girl telling a boy that she loved him! The kingdom is in hands unfit to
rule,the extraction of surplus from the common folk, ruthless, their labour
forced to execute deeds and purposes undesirable, the building of the giant
statue for example driven by whips. Reminiscent of the film #TenThousandBC? Certainly!
The Prices of the realm, Bahu and Bhalaar, go hunting a spy and the ‘joint’
they visit is reminiscent of the place that #Obewon visits looking for a pilot
in #Starwars!! Replete with strange nefarious characters , flowing alcohol,
dancers emerging out of ropes!! Delightfully fanciful! The war scenes are the
best part of the film, extensive in lay and detailing. The royals watch the
battle from up atop ,much like they do in #Troy with the battle field a
spectacle to them, as it is to the audience, observing the ebb and flow of
victory and defeat, the play of character, the display of strength and
strategy. The references to other films and to mythological characters are
many, an arrow decapitates an evil prince and the headless corpse walks a few
steps even as the arrow flies midair with the head attached! #Indrajeet that!! One cannot forget the brilliant story
teller even in the midst of epic story and larger than life characters, unfolding
on screen!
It’s all delightful!! It’s truly
Indian Mainstream Cinema coming of age!! Can’t wait for part two !! hoping it’s soon!!
Vinny
17/7/15
