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Kaatru Veliyidai (2017)
Although Beautifully Shot and Visually poetic, KV fails to satisfy
Mani Ratnam has a very keen eye for visuals. And we have seen this through all his films. From the gritty Nayagan and Thalapathy, to the energetic Aayitha Ezhuthu and Iruvar, the cinematography has been top notch, with creative uniqueness in the way each shot is composed and staged. One could say that Visually, Kaatru Veilyidai is Mani Ratnam at his absolute best. The Production design and costumes are brilliant and fit the era perfectly, especially the Kargil War portions, or think of the "Kelaayo" tango, each set is designed with painstaking detail to give us beautiful imagery. Some of the Shots are pure visual poetry. Example, when the camera zooms into a car covered in snow, and the windwipers play across the windscreen to separately reveal VC and Leela.Its pure visual storytelling. There are many more moments like this in the film where mani ratnam's genius and Ravi Varma's skill shine through.
However, a technically satisfying film doesn't neccesarily mean it is emotionally satisfying. Kaatru Veliyidai tells the tale of an abusive relationship between Indian Air Force pilot VC and a doctor Leela. The contrast is instantaneous. One kills for a living. One saves lives for a living. And the visual symbolism accentuates this throught the film. Karthi as VC is totally believable and fantastic. At times he is the Uber cool, masculine jock, and at times he flips and becomes monstrous. Leela is the total opposite. A full on romantic, Leela is more of a delicate flower hiding a strong core, and yet is constantly trampled upon by the insensitive and unempathetic VC. All this is convincing, and the scenes that depict VC's emotional abuse are both subtle yet intense.
However, where the film fails is Kathi's transformation from an ar
Kaadhal Konden (2003)
Sweet, yet disturbing, Kaadhal Konden takes us on an emotionally haunting yet cherishing journey into lonliness and love
Selvarhagavan has proved yet again that his style of directing and rendering romance on screen can be very sweet, sad and realistically plausible at the same time. The chemistry and love between dhanush and sonia agarwal is refreshingly deep,delightful and heartfelt. This is not due to any one factor such as acting only or dialogue, but a brilliant combination between great, understated acting, thoughtful and uniquely directed scenes and gossebump inducing music from Yuvan. At the same time, the transformation of Dhanush's character Vinod from a lonely, isolated but intelligent boy to a violent man with sociopathic tendencies is very organically done. One can easily sympathise with and understand Vinod's lonliness and emotional constraints as his character is established very well and played by Dhanush in a very gut wrenching manner. This is one of the biggest strengths of the film. If Dhanush didn't draw empathy from the audience, or if Sonia agarwal failed in her acting, or if the chemistry between them was offbeat then the film would have failed. As well as this, the sequences where Dhanush's obsessive love and psychotic tendecies are displayed are very intense and effective without being over the top violent.
It also helps that both portions are done very uniquely. An example is, take the scene from the first half where Vinod is sleeping in a maths lesson and the angry teacher throws the duster at his face. One half of his face is littered with chalk, whereas his other half is empty. This symbolises both the lonely, isolated side of Vinod which yearns for love and the slowly growing monster of anger and obsession within dhanush as a result of the way in which society has branded him. Or take the very charming scene where Divya offers Vinod her upma, and he starts ravenously gobbling it but stops when Divya looks at him, and starts eating agian when she isn't looking at him. Or even take the sequence when Vinod subtly kidnaps Divya, into a cave but surprises both her and the audience with his cooking and the way in which he gets water, puts on a bed etc.
Yuvan's soundtrack is absolutely brilliant as usual. It encompasses everything: Vinod's search for love, his sexual desire, his lonliness, his anger, his scars and Divya's compassion for him. Vinod's flashback is very well meshed into the screenplay and doesn't feel out of place like most flashbacks in other films, and is also uniquely done with the shock and sense of creepy unsettlement deriving from our knowledge of what could have happened rather than directly showing the images on screen. There is a particular scene involving an orphanage revoluting in a very "French-revolution-bastille-day" way that is totally badass and bloody whilst still being grounded in reality.
The only flaw with the movie I would say is Aadhi's character. His performance as a playboy yet lovable college student is very charming and believable, but his characterisation lacks the depth of Vinod and Divya. The love triangle works because of Sudeep Sarangi's acting as Aadhi otherwise I don't think it would have been effective. If Aadhi's character had more depth then I think this film might have been absolutely perfect.
Overall, a brilliantly directed, and acted film that stays with you long after you finish it. One of Dhanush's best performances, and of Tamil cinemas best movies.
Pudhu Pettai (2006)
Fresh, raw and bloody, Pudhupettai is an uncompromising depiction of man's innate animalism
Selvaraghavan has surely tattooed his name in the history of tamil cinema with this trendsetting cult classic. Hands down, Pudhupettai is one of the best gangster films I have ever seen. And when I say that I don't just mean tamil cinema. I mean international cinema. I mean that it competes with classics like Goodfellas, The Departed, Godfather, Once upon a time in America. And the reason is the extreme rawness of the filmmaking. Pudhupettai is a film that you may not like very much the first time you watch it. The acting is stripped down to the bare, grisly most humanly rendered form. The cinematography, the songs, the action scenes all feel a bit too raw, a bit too offbeat. You then watch Pudhupettai a second time, and for some inexplicable experience it is better. A third time, everything seems amazing. The film retains its freshness because of the unique, rugged way in which it is shot. Take Goodfellas for example. It is certainly a brilliant, gritty film. Yet there is still something aesthetic about the way in which the shots are composed. Not in Pudhupettai. The action isnt realistic in a cinematic way. They are realistic in a realistic, but ultra-crass and rugged way.This is mostly due to the fact that that the movie is entirely from the perspective of Kokki Kumar, the protagonist who becomes increasingly paranoid and falls further into insanity and moral deprivation as the film progresses. And so some of the "strange" shots make sense. Take the climax for instance where dhanush goes on an insane vengeful rampage, yet the whole sequence happens in a white fog, which is contrasted with the dark red of the blood. The bullet shots create holes in the fog. Yet the fog isn't there just for sake of effect. It symbolises Kokki Kumar's isolation and descent into madness. One thing to notice in the sequence is the lack of dialogue. It is more growls, grunts and snarls, implying that Kokki Kumar is at the height of his bestiality; He puts a bloodstained knife at the throat of a child; he runs ruthlessly towards Moorthy even though his wives form a ring around him; Yet, you see a human touch. He waits as Moorthy accepts his fate and eats for the last time. When Moorthy finally kills himself. Kokki Kumar watches for a second and then confusingly cries and hugs Moorthy. The film starts with Kokki Kumar seeing the bloody corpse of his mother, her eyes staring at him. He sees a very similar image in Moorthy's dead body that he saw in the corpse of his mother.
The colour gradient of this film is also brilliant. You see a lot of greens and reds. Green symbolising a strange, silent world Kokki Kumar is not used to, a humanity he has not seen. You see this in the scene where he faces a scarecrow in the middle of a field. There is no sound apart from that of night creatures and insects. Kokki Kumar is flabbergasted. He starts getting delusions of enemies everywhere. The scarecrow is a perfect metaphor of his fear and the way in which it looms over him. The red on the other hand symbolises all the violence and brutality around him.
The characterisations in this film are brilliant. Everybody is a survivalistic animal. This is surely one of Dhanush's most raw and human performances. Sneha who has pulled of a brilliant and subdued performance as a prostitute demonstrates this well. She takes money from Dhanush when he offers it. When He leaves her in lust for another woman, she emotionally manipulates him into marrying her as well. Soni agarwal as the victim who is forced into marriage with Dhanush is also great. You see her anger. Her bitterness. Her vengeance. Others who are great are Bala singh, Azhagam Perumal as a ruthless, manipulative politician, and the character who plays Mani. The film also features Vijay Sethupathis debut as a henchman which is soundly played.
Another great thing about this film is the dialogues. The dialogues are extremely powerful and extremely meaninfgul. Take the scene where Kokki Kumar in prison gives a monlogue on how it feels like after one has killed someone for the first time. Or the one where Kokki Kumar talks to his baby before leaving it. Or even the transformation scene where he is mercilessly thrashed and says "adinga da, vaanga da adinga da, vazhikala da, ulla eriyuthu da". (hit me, come on hit me, It's not paining, I'm burning inside). he is in no pain physically yet emotionally he is burning for all the blows society has dealt him with.
One of the key factors that elevated Pudhupettai from a great film to an amazing film is Yuvan Shankar Raja's soundtrack. Speechless.Progressie, experimental and unheard of, the album is completely unique and is raw in the same way the film is.
Overall, Pudhupettai is a very underrated masterpiece that is one of the best films of tamil cinema. Selvaraghavan has given us another gem.
Anbe Sivam (2003)
Funny, awe-inspiring, heartfelt and philosophical all at the same time!
Anbe Sivam is a film that tamil cinema will get once in a blue moon. With a unique emotional core and filled with great ironic dialogues and metaphors as well as brilliant performances that add to the great characterizations, Anbe Sivam is a masterpiece, bar couple shots and scenes. It has a striking commentary on many societal issues such as Communism, Capitalism, globalisation as well as a constant philosphical discussion on the existence of god and the hypocrisy of religion. Kamal is a well known and staunch atheist. Yet the film isn't an anti-religion film. It is a pro-human film, and shows that no matter whether a person is religious or not, it is their humanity that makes them who they are. Watch out for a scene that is so strikingly ironic yet emotionally powerful, where Nasser utters "all praises to Shiva" and wishes for Kamal Hassan's death. Contrast this with a nun that walks in a few minutes later to perform a surgery on Kamal Hassan and does a small prayer to Christ for his survival. The film is brimming with many moments like this that are very powerful yet subtle in the way they convey the message.
The writing in this film is of course exemplary. It is very layered and symbolic; On a surface level it is very funny and comical yet it carries a subtle meaning underneath. The film blends both comic and emotional elements so well that one moment we are on the verge of tears after the death of a child, then we get goosebumps as Kamal says it is the humanity and compassion within a person that makes them god, then we are laughing as he says something cheeky. In this way the film makes us feel many emotions all at once without feeling tonally off. Much of the comedy comes from the interplay between Madhavan, a rich capitalist Ad film maker who shys away from the harsh reality of life and Kamal a communist, physically disabled man with only a dog for his companion yet is world wise. Yet the comedy isn't there for the sake of making the film entertaining. It feels like the natural outcome of putting two such contrasting characters in the same room.
There is a flashback portion in this film which explains how kamal became so physically disabled. The film lags slightly in this portion, but it is still very relevant and still engaging. The relationship between kamal and kiran Rathod is good, and sweet enough so that the emotional impact is higher when we witness the manipulation of Nasser, yet I think their chemistry could have been much better with better casting (think of the brilliant chemistry and back and forth between kamal and Abirahmi in Virumandi). The scene in the flashback where a guy on the street comments on a woman's style of dressing and her reply back to his statement is a perfect reflection of how society judges women and of feminism. There is also a brilliant dance/drama performance which strongly critiques capitalism and the exploitation of power in society. Yet nothing is heavy handed. It all ties in with the story line very well.
There is only one scene which realistically wasn't possible and seemed ultra-slapstick, when Madhavan falls into a swimming pool. However apart from this one cheesy moment the rest of the film is great and has a very heartwarming and powerful ending. Talk of the theme "anbe sivam". One of the best title tracks ever. A must watch and a gem of tamil cinema.
Thani Oruvan (2015)
Racy, sleek, and thrilling, Thani Oruvan features a stellar performance from Arvind Swamy and is Politically astute
Finally we have an original screenplay and idea from Mohan Raja, and a great one at that. Thani oruvan narrates the story of Mithran, a cop who becomes obsessed with bringing down India's most corrupt businessman, Sidharth Abhimanyu and displays the psychological cat and mouse game that enfolds. Although its presented as usual in the good versus evil form the underlying political core of this film was very intriguing: The invisble but ever looming connection between seemingly small street crimes, media, politicians and businessmen. Here, M.Raja explores the decaying corruption of the pharmaceutical industry.
The pace of the film is very fast paced, and rarely lags, constantly putting the audience into situation after situation where we see the psychological battle between Mithran and Sidharth Abhimanyu play out, with building tension, suspense and sudden twists. The opening scene of the film itself is very unique and establishes an unexpected character in the film.Likewise the film builds to an unexpected but impactful climax. Yes, sometimes the film becomes preachy, with Jayam Ravi giving passionate monologues, however this doesn't take away too much from the film. The dialogues in general are very crisp and striking.
The charachterisation in this film is mostly good. Whereas Sidharth Abhimanyu is a trendsetting villain who will undoubtedly go down as one of the most badass villains in tamil cinema, the same cannot be said of Mithran's character. Mithran's character is slightly more fleshed out than other cliched Do gooder heroes of Kollywood. We see glimpses of his obsession to bring down Sidharth Abhimanyu, particularly in an intense scene where he almost destroys his own apartment searching for a bug. However this obsession could have been more fleshed out to the extent that Mithran himself ends up making morally questionable decisions to arrest his personally assigned enemy. Jayam Ravi's performance is good but lies in the shadow of Arvind Swamy's understated and badass performance as Sidharth Abhimanyu, a ruthless, calculating, manipulative and opportunistic businessman. The supporting cast are also good and help to progress the narrative. Especially Rahul Madhav as Jana, Nasser as the chief minister and Thambi Ramaiah are very good. Nayanthara isnt a cliched heroine just there for commercial purposes. Although her role is more commercial (as usual a duet but at least only one) at least her character had a role and was more integrated into the story, and her performance was good so the romance portion wasn't too irritating or irrelevant.
Hip Hop Tamizha's music is very good, the songs are catchy and memorable and the bgm is excellent, especially Theemai dhan vellum and "Thani Oruvan" both themes are brilliant and emit expected vibes; Dark and badass, and Awesome in a motivating way. Technically the film is sound. The editing is great and so is the cinematography especially with the colour tones and shades.
Overall, Thani oruvan is a film one can watch many times and is racy, sleek and thrilling, featuring a stellar comeback from Arvind Swamy as well as politically astute themes,
Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016)
Intriguing, suspenseful and excellently consistent thriller
Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru is an unexpected but solid debut from Karthik Naren. The premise is a basic whodunit, surrounding a supposed suicide, a mysterious hit and run accident and a woman's disappearance. Although it is a very basic concept, Karthik Naren has written a very unique screenplay for this film that works excellently especially with a second viewing. Its pretty much hard to fail with a whodunit at least in the first half or so of a film. Even though countless films use it, there is always the base suspense element which the premise provides by default, so even if all else goes wrong, this default "whodunit" suspense is there to compensate. However this is nowhere near a cliched thriller as Karthik Naren does much more than that, by creating a realistic and grounded world bolstered by a non-linear screenplay very much akin to that of pulp fiction and City of God.
We see different incidents and occurences from different narrative view points and perspectives, which flawlessly intertwine and fit together like jigsaw pieces to provide a wholesome view at the end of the film. Perspective is a very important theme in this film. The very first scene will seem cliched; A masked "psycho killer" walks into a house and seemingly murders a couple. But when contrasted at the end of the film when the true events are shown, and near the middle when we see Deepak's theory, it all makes sense. Furthermore insert a dialogue when a character tells Deepak "don't think like a typical police officer". The speciality of this film is Karthik Naren's subtle subtext. We see the whole film through Deepak's perspective of other people's perspectives: A chinese box narrative. A twist at the end of the film gives this idea much more prominence and also provides the film with its emotional crux (There is a flaw with this that I will come back to in the end).
Another think that I love about this film is its consistent tone. It stays true to itself. The director has married himself to a thriller and he stays faithful to the wife of his chosen genre throughout the film. There isnt a random affair with a romantic track or a night fling with a comedy narrative. This is true even in its use of violence; What is present is minimal and realistic.There is almost no onscreen violence in terms of fight or action sequences...and in that sense this film is unique as it creates intensity without using violence. What makes it unique is that it is a combination between Nolan (its play on perspective) and Hitchcock (the constant maintenance of suspense).
Karthik's attention to detail is also mostly good. "Mostly" because there are a couple of scenes where attention to detail would have enhanced this film further. For example, it rains during the night of the crime. However, the next day morning everything is completely dry. Apart from this, in terms of the plot, all the details are important and have relevance in furthering the plot. But even nuances that aren't important for the plot enhance the film by grounding it in reality. Take the scene where Rahman walks in and out of the police station, there are many conversations taking place in the background that create the atmosphere of a police station well. Or even take the eager film students participating in a short film competition, where one of the students is lazy and is unresponsive to a phone call.
All the characters used in this film are relevant to progress the plot. And they all have small characteristics that stand out and make them unique. Rahman's performance as a guilt-ridden, flawed and haunted police officer is very subtle, nuanced and yet effective in a classic Rahmanesque way. He is probably the most three dimensional character in this film, as the dilemma he faces is a very human one and one that most humans are fallible to. However, in a crucial twist at the end of the film we are required to emote with a particular character which one can definitely emote with, but the intensity and power of the twist would have been higher if this particular character had been developed to the extent Rahman was.
Overall, this film was a solid debut, with a unique narrative, very well executed twists and a thriller with a refreshingly consistent tone of mystery and suspense.
Vikram Vedha (2017)
Intriguing, gritty and thought provoking take on the blurred nature of human morality
Vikram Vedha is a very different and unique entry into Tamil cinema. This is not only because of its intriguing and realistic exploration of good and evil and everything in between, but also a very well written screenplay that constantly maintains suspense. The most interesting aspect of this film is the premise: That morality isn't black and white, but in mixed shades of grey, and how one can find humanity and corruption in the least expected places. The philosophy pervades this film and leads to a fitting, character driven climax which will force you to question the dilemma presented at the end of the film.
This film is very intricately plotted and structured. The best way I can describe the structure and screenplay of this movie is to imagine a disorganised chess board, in which the pieces move and by the end of the film are neatly organised..black on one side and white on the other. Every frame and seemingly useless conversations/ dialogues that may seem to only function to establish character or setting are actually key to the plot, and the subtle way in which this was presented was very refreshing. The plot is pretty complex, and a second viewing definitely enhances the experience. There are intermittent flashbacks to Vedha's life which connect in unexpected ways to the present story line where Vikram is interrogating Vedha.
The Characterization in this film is key to its philosophical themes. Both Vikram and Vedha are brilliantly written and intriguing characters. Vikram, the cop is a character who believes in absolute morality; One is either right or wrong, nothing in between. Yet, many of Vikram's actions are ruthless and morally questionable, even though he justifies them to himself, saying "Everyone I have killed are criminals and all criminals are guilty...and one can do anything that is required to put the criminal behind bars". The arc of self-realization and transformation that Vikram undergoes is very important to the story. He starts of wearing a white shirt, where as Vedha wears black. By the end of the film, the lines have blurred and both are ind shades of grey. Vedha has already underwent his transformation at the start of the film, but there is a mystery shrouding him, and how he underwent this transformation is revealed in the flashbacks. Vedha's transformation is very much that of an opportunistic and intelligent gangster turning into a wise and disillusioned one. What is interesting is that Vedha isnt like gangsters in other films. There is no childhood flashback displaying trauma. He isn't motivated by anger, fear, vengeance or even a lust for power. Vedha's motives for being a criminal are very simple: He is in that environment, and he needs to do what he needs to, to survive in this environment. For Vedha, a life of crime was a way out of poverty, of being cheated by shopkeepers, a chance to be "gethu" and eat biryani for free 3 times a day in an A/C restaurant without anybody questioning him. Yet, as it turns out things aren't that simple and an unfair world of betrayal and injustice disillusions him.
The supporting characters in both Vikram's side and Vedha's side are both key and important in the story. This includes the heroine character of priya played excellently by Shradha srinath, who is a lawyer and Vikram's wife, and is characterised very well. She is a woman who stands up for herself and adds a lot to Vikram's character as well, unlike the trillions of tamil heroines who are simply there for the romance portion.
All the performances in this film are stellar. Vijay Sethupathi as Vedha is mysterious, witty, ruthless and charming and relatable all at the same time. Madhavan as Vikram pulls of a very subtle but intense performanc, and the chemistry and electrical screen presence of these 2 actors boosts the film further. Kathir as Puli (Vedha's brother) , Prem as Simon and Vivek prasana as Half Boil were also great and endearing.The character of chandra (Varalaxmi SarathKumar), a woman motivated by greed and ambition is also very good and strongly played.
The soundtrack is amazing, with the main theme providing different auaras in different situation. It is modified to be badass, comical, and mysterious. Sam CS has definitely done a great job, and you will walk out humming the theme constantly.
The action is very realistic and grounded as is the cinematography, very much capturing the atmosphere of the film very well.
I did have a couple of flaws though without which in my opinion would have turned this film from a great movie to an amazing movie. Some of the editing whilst Vikram is connecting the dots is out of place: As the frames flashes to Vikram's thoughts it turns suddenly yellowish and golden to show the transition. I feel it would have been more seamless to not have that there. Also, the film overall has a commercial ish feel to it. Yes, it is dark, it is realistic, but I feel Pushkar Gayatri could have gone all out considering the content and nature of the film. I very much wanted a very gritty, brutal, bloody and brooding film, which would have worked for the film. I feel it could have been more raw and unpolished..the way in which Pudhupettai was.
Other than that, I had a very enjoyable time with Vikram Vedha, one of the finest films of 2017..engrossing, suspenseful and even touching at times.
Bãhubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)
A Magnificent visual and emotional experience.
Of course, after the albeit flawed but nonetheless spellbinding Baahubali: The beginning, everyone awaited Baahubali 2 the conclusion with gargantuan expectations that are almost never met by sequels.
Baahubali 2 not only meats these expectations but gracefully rises way above them.
First of all this movie is not something you watch but experience. Rajamouli expertly engrosses us in a fantasy where there is not a second where you will be bored. This movie never dulls, instead it gets you to greater levels of high at the imagination and creativity in which the story is told. This is visual storytelling at its best. The story itself is an amalgamation of well known myths, legends and epics like Mahabharata (Baahu vs Balla for the throne) and Ramayana (Baahubali and devasena exiled), infested with much of the stereotypical Masala clichés of Indian cinema. In any normal film this would be cringe worthy , boring and frustrating, but the performances and the grandeur in which the scenes are displayed makes it all believable, and you don't care whether Shivu ripping a tree from its roots or Bahubali throwing a chariot is realistic...because the film dissolves you so deep into the fantasy that its actually entertaining and even cool.
Yes there are some faults with the CGI which doesn't look 100% realistic at all times, but considering the taboos of Indian cinema and the technical boundaries and budget restricting them, the VF is groundbreaking. There are some shots which could literally be framed on the wall and it would be absolutely amazing. The war scenes contain the same epic and innovative feel of the first films, but this time with added toppings; a stampede of bulls with fiery horns, human cannonballs (absolutely amazingly shot). It still has the typical "war" shots; i.e armies sweeping in masses to fight each other like from Lord of the Rings, but Rajamouli somehow makes it feel just as fresh and jaw dropping as it did in Lord of the Rings, with M.M Keeravani's music elevating it to another epic level.
Now, yes yes the visuals are great I get it, but what about the content, the characters, the performances, and most of all the answer to WKKB? like in most epic, VFX driven films, 3-D characters with intense performances and emotionally striking drama is very rare even in Hollywood. But Baahubali 2 has all of it. The political palace drama that plays out in the middle of the film is very intriguing with multi-layered characters with their own inner conflicts and dilemmas. All the actors here give their very best. Prabhas is utterly charming and completely believable as this herculean character, with great chemistry with Anushka (Devasena) who is not your stereotypical submissive woman but can speak for herself and displays prowess as a warrior. With Tammana in the first film it was utterly crap due to Tammana's OTT performance, and thankfully she doesn't appear much in this film. But here, anushka's performance itself is spellbinding enough to give you goosebumps (look out for the poetic scene where baahubali teaches devasena to fire arrows).
This brings me to some of my favorite characters in the movie: Ramya Krishnan's powerful and captivating performance as the majestic but conflicted and flawed Sivagami attempting to balance her love for both Balla and Baahu. In the first film there is a brilliant shot where Sivagami has blood splattered on her face, knife in one hand, baby on the other; a defiant, commanding woman capable of violence, yet a nurturing lovable mother. The next shot features her sitting majestically on the throne with both Baha'i and Ball as babies cradled on her lap. The significance of this shot doesn't strike then but it does now and its genius characterization on the work of Rajamouli.
Sathyaraj as Kattapa; WOW. wkKB is not exactly the BIG twist you might have been expecting but the whole sequence is very hard hitting and very powerful; I even teared up just a little. The relationship between Bahubali and katappa is further developed in the first half of the film, and when wkKB is revealed in the second half it makes it all the more powerful. sathyaraj completely embodies this Bheeshma-like character who is bound by duty.
Nasser's role- a tribute to shakuni- is just plain evil/cunning. It is a brilliantly nuanced performance with a deeper layer; He has his own jealousies, insecurities-Reminds of Fredo from Godfather (although bijjaladeva is nowhere near as stupid). There are a few shockingly disturbing scenes involving Nasser (contemplating killing his own wife,a bloody plan to frame bauble) and it is great!
in fact the supporting cast are so great that you get so engrossed in their conflicts that you completely forget about Baahubali's character. And then Prabhas strides onto the screen accompanied by Keeravani's epic BM...a typical "mass" scene that doesn't feel typical and clichéd at all. It somehow feels awesome as you wonder"oh dam!totally forget about this guy...jeez I wonder how this is going to play out!"
Rana does justice to his role. He is the typical "Villain" and although he doesn't have the complexity of the supporting cast, Rana's build and acting overrides it. Perhaps a more 3-dimensional portrayal would have been better(showing the transition from innocent brother to jealous murderer).
Overall, this is one magnificent visual and emotional experience that should and will be a landmark in Indian cinema, and although like all blockbusters it has its own flaws(rushed ending...easily forgiven by the striking imagery of the final shot: A large Golden head falling down a waterfall) the complete engrossing experience is worth it all. If you haven't watched this movie. GO WATCH IT. IN CINEMAS. NOW.