Being big fans of Baahubali, the Beginning, no surprise that we were waiting for the release of Part 2, The Conclusion. I still remember walking out of the theatre two years ago and telling the Mister that we will be back to see Part 2 on the first day of the release. Well, that didn't happen and I spent day 1 deleting all the spoilers on Whatsapp (thanks by the way) during my time on vacation but nevertheless, we made it the first weekend we were back. As spectacular as Part 1 was, I went in expecting so much from Part 2 that I think I spoilt it for myself a bit. If I absolve myself of that, I still think I came back from a feature film which was a mishmash of Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi Baahu thi meets Game of Thrones meets Mahabharat in parts and somewhere there's a smattering of a bad Bollywood comedy - All this despite the movie being a treat for the eyes visually, given the sometimes over the top VFX. So, here's some thoughts:
Characters
While Amarendra Baahubali is a beautifully fleshed out character - He is just, fair, kind-hearted, giving, helpful, all that while looking like a million bucks; Shivagami came across a bit messed up - Lets rewind to the same fearless lady breastfeeding hers and another's child as her own, while presiding in court; she's the same lady who instituted Baahubali over the less kind Bhallal as king though the results of that contest were different. In this part, she lets her ego and her anger get the better of her. She behaves like a sore mother in law when Baahu wants to marry Devasena against her wishes and pretty much in every exchange involving the three of them afterwards. The only thing missing was a "Ladka humare haath se nikhal gaya "dialogue. I wish you were the same awesome Part 1 Shivagami in this one too!
Devasena, the indomitable and absolutely impressive warrior princess, who knows how to sing, use a sword with the same oomph (Recall. -Jodha Akbar), sometimes comes across as a petulant child looking for trouble. While I admire how she gives it back to Shivagami (You go girl!), sometimes she's just unnecessarily aggressive making already broken matters worse. To top it all, it amazes me how someone with this unbreakable spirit throughout the movie agrees to be meekly subdued and serve as a slave in chains till her son (who she saw drown minutes after giving birth to him) comes back. Appreciate the optimism but how did she make no effort to run, to check on her son or rescue him - Its honestly mind boggling.
Then there is Katappa - the mean but not lean warrior leader who was revered and feared amongst the ranks but we knew he had a softer side, especially for Baahubali the young prince. But, watching him behave like Kader Khan trying to help Govinda woo his heroine in the first half cracking painfully silly jokes is a let down. Towards the second half, how he agrees to do something against his conscience again doesn't allow you to feel for him. His allegiance to the regency is known but not seen as strongly as his loyalty to Baahu - Discarding that for royal duty in a scene I didn't fully comprehend was just very sad. 
Bhallaladeva - the antagonist. He has more lines, more dialogue, makes more sense, more every thing in part 1. In this, he is, a caricature of Duryodhan from Mahabharat ever listening to his scheming mentor (here also his father), not close to spewing enough venom and not looking half as much as the villain you so much want him to be. There was a brotherhood, some semblance of dialogue between him and Baahu in Part 1. Here, Nada. Except a monologue scene with a dead Baahu that I didn't quite get.
The low point for me - A Scene I didn't comprehend or even like
Baahu's death was such a non-event - it is sad. The build up to the defining moment of Part 1 was under-impressive and mediocre at best. Was Katappa really captured for treason when Baahu saved him? If yes, then how did he suddenly want to keep his promise when he was under treason in the first place for breaking it? The only explanation he offered a dying Baahu was "Rajya aadesh" after which Baahu tells him to look after his mother - forgetting all about the wife he sacrificed the kingdom and his family for. Further, how Bhallal appeared at the scene that too alone, is so questionable, given that in the same place a few seconds ago, infiltrators were being fought off. Was the whole thing a ploy? SSR could've explained better what in hell was going on there especially when this scene is supposed to answer the most popular question for the last two years - Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?
Other things
While the special effects are of course killer - they have some excellent teams bringing in these mysterious lands which seem real, the animals don't seem like clunky CGI, very up there level of VFX in the league of Game of Thrones for me. But, it is sometimes over the top. The ship bringing Baahu and Devasena back to Mahishmati turns into a plane like flying saucer object with horses flying aside it for company as well. The catapult using palm trees idea is ingenious but the multiple times imagery of the shields turning into a small fortified flying object comes across as overdone and bizarre!
I also didn't comprehend the regressiveness with the whole idea of Baahubali thinking his mother will soften towards him if he has a child. Why, when you have creative freedom and you're creating an entirely fictional story in fantasy land, would you want to insert such ancient regressive ideas, is beyond me. That too when you have three such strong women characters - Shivagami (the matriarchal ruler of Mahishmati), Devasena (the warrior princess), Avanthika (the warrior almost princess!).
Now, to Avanthika - while she's important to part 1 and the whole first half has Shivu chasing behind her, in part 2, she's barely there. In fact when the flashback ends and we cut to the present, you can't even spot her in the frame. Is she so unimportant to the plot? And the rebel army she fights for whose main agenda is to free Devasena - the head seems like the king of the Kunthala desh which is where Devasena was from - But this loose end is never tied up. You're left to do some match the faces and figure this out for yourself.
Nevertheless, Baahubali, as a franchise deserves to be seen. It has two amazing war sequences and just simply to have a movie of that scale with special effects as seamless as any comparable English fantasy movie, with such good looking Brawn in the shape of Prabhas and Rana Daggubatti is truly appreciable. However, Part 1 clearly rules my heart over part 2. Novelty factor aside, I felt it was richer in storyline, fuller in characters and more consistent throughout which I think Part 2 may have sacrificed for the grandeur and effects they received acclaim for in Part 1. I will in the future watch both the movies again but they'll never be watched without Part 1 hogging more viewing time. The franchise will remain one of my favourite movies of all time and I'll be ever proud for a movie like this to come out of India.
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