'Bahubali: The Torch Bearer' review: Netflix documentary celebrates Rajamouli's magic
What's the story
Unprecedented, grand, and awe-inspiring, SS Rajamouli's Baahubali franchise transformed Indian cinema forever. The spectacular films, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), defied expectations and broke linguistic and cultural barriers. Netflix's new four-part documentary, Bahubali: The Torch Bearer, takes you behind the scenes as the cast and crew revisit the enchanting magic of the two films.
About the documentary
Prabhas, Anushka Shetty look back at the shooting
The four episodes are titled The Dream (29 minutes), Building the Dream (38 minutes), Beyond Dreams (23 minutes), and The Torchbearer (33 minutes). The documentary takes you inside the grueling yet magical pre-production, production, and post-production process. Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Rajamouli, and Anushka Shetty, among others, revisit their experiences, sharing anecdotes and revealing how the movies altered the course of their lives.
#1
Inside the mind of a maverick
Watching Rajamouli brief the artists, enact scenes, and then film the demanding sequences is like watching a mad genius at work. He talks about his vision that first took root in 2012, when he dared to dream and gradually became a trailblazer. From budget constraints to production challenges and distribution hassles to complex filming schedules, Rajamouli fought battles to bring Baahubali to the screens.
#2
How did the team achieve the unthinkable?
Looking back at the extensive schedules, Prabhas recalls how the shoot "was like a war." The movies flow like literary epics, and everything needed to be spotless for a project of such magnitude: costumes, music, choreography, VFX, and action, among others. The war sequence alone took over 2 months, and the crew battled rain, heat, and even physical ailments to finish the films.
#3
How 'Baahubali' catapulted Rajamouli's career
While RRR earned Rajamouli global acclaim, he is at his strongest with Baahubali. The team also acknowledges that Baahubali gave them the confidence to dream even bigger with RRR and the upcoming Varanasi. Baahubali: The Epic, released last year, proved that this franchise has yet to breathe its last, and now, Bahubali: The Torch Bearer follows suit. Looks like Mahishmati's doors will never close.
#4
The struggles we didn't see on-screen
The documentary offers some emotional moments, particularly when Rajamouli and the producers recall their jitters about potential monetary losses. The film received negative reviews from the South media on the first day, leaving the team vulnerable, heartbroken, and anxious. The project also touches on the "Why Kattappa killed Bahubali?" phenomenon and how the makers never anticipated the cliffhanger exploding the way it did.
Verdict
Good watch for fans of the franchise; 3.5/5 stars
The team acknowledges Karan Johar and Anil Thadani's contributions toward the Hindi release, but sadly, they don't appear in the documentary. I would also have liked to see a detailed exploration of MM Keeravani's music process. Apart from such shortcomings, though, Bahubali: The Torch Bearer is an intimate, candid look at an audacious franchise that put Indian cinema on the global map. 3.5/5 stars.