Bahubali 2 - The conclusion

I watched the most expected epic saga Bahubali 2 last week around this time but never got to review it as life was a bit busy.  Bahubali the beginning was a tad less announced or rather advertised.  We all had thought it was just an epic based on the myths and folklore of our ancient India.  The base of the story was kind of loosely based on the myth Mahabharath.  I mean there are two sons, one a cripple and the other the righteous.  But the cripple doesn't get to rule because he is not a cripple by body but by mind.  He, simply put, is a bad snake in the glorious kingdom.

So the story of the glorious Bahubali starts with the flashback of the dutiful servant Kattappa.  The war scenes and everything were just beyond imagination, and so gripping.  This pivotal plot just set the character of both Bahubali and PalvalDevan.  So does it decide who rules.  But the first part ends with Kattappa confessing that he killed the mighty Bahubali.  So there ends the first part.

The second part starts with an introduction of Bahubali so grandeur that it fits the grandeur of the whole film.  He is shown as this righteous ruler and caring son who is just on the brink of becoming the ruler of this mighty kingdom.  But as fate would have it, he visits his kingdom and falls in love with princess Devasena.  Turn of events leads to lot of misunderstanding, the sinuous plot of Palval Devan.  So Bahubali ends up becoming the commander in chief of the army rather than the King, just to save his word to the princess.

Meanwhile the plot thickens to banish Bahubali and ultimately kill him.  Yet they succeed in doing so.  But they do not succeed in killing his son, who is his heir to the throne.  The rest of the story is about vendetta, revenge and happy endings.

I feel the story was a bit long, some of the parts could have been cut short, like the romance between Bahubali and Devasena.  But as the story moves, the plots are too gripping to compensate for the sags.  The romance song with special effects just add more color to the movie.  The palace, the forest, the whole set is awe inspiring that you cannot find any fault with.  The director has justified why Kattappa killed Bahubali, though it was trecherous.  Otherwise the film wouldn't have grossed so attention as it has now. The facts about technology  just goes above my head.  Though we ultimately know the ending, it was still worth watching till the end.  We are proud that a south Indian film has gotten a special mention in many international screens.  Director, S.S Rajamouli and his fantasy films, like Naan E, Mahadheera and now Bahubali proves how far he can stand up to International Standards.

My not so perfect life by Sophie Kinsella

Chick lits have been my stable genre for all moods. Not just the women empowerment, but everything about it, say the fashion, the care, the romance, the drama, throw in some mystery and it is the best seller.

Some authors have been my go-to, all along. They may not be Indians and they do not depict the Indian Culture. But what with all the globalization and immigration we do get a taste of everything. The films also play a major role. So it really is not that hard to play the story in your head.

My favorite authors have been Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Wendy Wax, Jill Manselland many more. Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddesswas the first of her works that I had read. It was excellent. After which I have read many chick lits. And I have come to a stage where I can decipher the pattern. A girl with an ordinary life is on her brink and some mess comes along by the way to wreck her life. Enter the charismatic hero who by all odds rescue her and they lead a very perfect life. It’s the same over and over again. But how the plot and scenes are set and moved plays the pivotal role. My Not So Perfect Lifecould have been a bit more interesting.

Katie Brenner, the research associate who had just joined Cooper Clemmow, has the not so perfect life. She hates everything about her life and envies her colleagues life. But little does she know that the glossy and perfect picture that they paint of their lives has another side to it.
She is fired from her job and her dream to become a Londoner is getting blurry everyday with every rejection at her job interview. Her saving grace is the job her step mum offers, to setup their family business. She goes back to Somerset on the pretence that she is on a sabbatical.

Her dad's glamping business picks up and as fate would have it her ex-boss comes to stay. Katie's revenge and plots on her ex-boss is hilarious. But soon she gets to know her boss's true colours. She soon sees that no one’s life is perfect and she learns her lessons the hard way. Will she really help her boss get her job back, will she get love of life and will she ever leave Somerset to become a Londoner? Finally, she is ready to face the world as it is, without the glossy veneer.

It was a light and quick read. But it was kind of predictable and the plots could have been a bit more interesting.