The Beginning (2015) - Review by Ethan Weening

Film History:

Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning is an action film telling the life of Baahubali, a lost prince of Mahishmati, and his adventures to save his mother from the tyrant that rules the kingdom. Baahubali: The Beginning has all the trapping of the Tollywood style: musical numbers, crazy acts of heroism and exaggerated romance. Grossing at over 80 million USD worldwide, the 2015 action epic became a global hit that drew international attention to the rising Indian film industry. Not only was the film critically acclaimed across India, but also propelled Punjab mythology and history into popular culture.

Historical Analysis:

The story of Baahubali: The Beginning is set in the ancient city of Mahishmati, the seat of power for the historical Avanti kingdom. While the story is fictional, Baahubali’s story has historical roots in the Mahabharata. Rajamouli has citied the 3rd century Punjab epic as his inspiration for the story and it shows through the film’s characters, ceremony scenes and architectural design. However, the film’s historical accuracy suffers from the Tollywood style that Rajamouli takes where each part of the story is over the top in its depictions. Mahishmati looks fantastical in certain scenes with its towering megastructures, the battle against the Kalakaya army shows insane machines and ridiculously clad soldiers and Baahubali’s feats of strength are anything but realistic. Where many scenes fail at realistically portraying 3rd century India, it is filled with historical and cultural influences that make the film uniquely Indian.