［translation］5 things what we should talk about when we talk about Bhallaladeva
Jai Maahishmathi！
Bhallaladeva is a King of Maahishmathi in epic "Baahubali" movies. *1 Now Japan is in an atmosphere of 'Baahubali,' and the outstanding villain is becoming popular and getting lots of fans.*2
In the previous post, I analyzed which character's name is most frequently tweeted on twitter JPN, and the No.1 character is Bhallaladeva. Fans in Japan are thinking and chatting about this interesting character excitedly, even more than Amarendra Baahubali. And also you can find a lot of fan arts of him on the Internet. Some feel sympathy for him, some imagine another end like Bhalla reached a compromise with his brother or nephew.
LR-san(@LR_ery) is also a big fan of 'Baahubali' movies.
He often mentions to the movie on Twitter and his Tumblr either. Well, a few weeks ago he wrote an excellent article about the King Bhallaladeva so I would like to introduce it.
Let's think about Bhallaladeva, who is a tremendously attractive person in Baahubali world.
The original article in Japanese is below.
[translation] 5 things what we should talk about when we talk about Bhallaladeva
Warning; This article is a spoiler. I ONLY talk about Bhallaladeva here, because he is the King, and no one is not primary here more than him.
1. He is a Perfect Villain.
This is the most crucial point when we talk about him.
He is the immense rock wall standing path of Sivdu. The King Ballaladeva is an embodiment of Power, and if he were not there, Sivdu couldn't illuminate. Sivdu was just a country boy who was strongest in his village. Bhallaladeva is the one who can grapple with him equally.
Sivdu is a pure person who took over his lover's duty and rose up with rebellion though they talked their memories. In the meanwhile, Bhallaladeva beats him by his sheer power. Sivdu no longer had strategies and weapons but he recovered himself, and Bhallaradeva accepted his challenge all out.
We audience praise for the perfect villain king who is a purely, genuinely proud man.
His last sequence is also excellent because he didn't plead for his life so that Sivdu could kill him without any hesitation. His attitude when he faced his death was ALSO perfect as a villain.
I appreciate that you are the best villain who doesn't show his warm humanity, for example, he had picked up and feed a kitty or saved young slaves like that. No one came to beg your life in exchange for her life. We never saw such 'beautiful' scenes.
You are cruel; nobody has any sympathy for you, a massive rock wall, the last enemy, the perfect villain. You are the great, prestigious, exalted king of Mahishmathi.
If you were not there, the 'Baahubali' movies wouldn't be such a great film.
I am grateful for your existence as such an attractive character.
2. He is an able statesman.
Devasena scolded him because of his lack of virtue, nevertheless, indeed he is an able king, isn't it?
During 25 years long interregnum from Vikramadeva's die, The Queen Sivagami had ruled over the Mahishmathi kingdom, and then Bhallaladeva throned as a licit king. At the first period in his governance, he judged by hearing both statements of a defendant and a plaintiff. His attitude about the court shows he govern it as a country of lows.
In the court, he treated everybody equally even if they are monks, the masses, and royalty.
And then he excluded his mother, who had hold real power, and also his brother who was extremely popular with the masses though he became the plain citizen. When he got the situation no one could interrupt him, he held power over the Mahishmathi Kingdom. It shows that he is the king who is a logical man and can appropriate a profit-and-loss account.
Take an example of a war against Kalakeya.
Someone looks that Bhallaladeva abandoned his subjects meanwhile Baahubali saved them attacking the enemies. However, could you distinguish who were real subjects and who were disguises of Kalakeya from a long length?
Kalakeya's style was, but they also use spy and know the ceremony before war starting as well as the Mahishmathi. They are not just a savage tribe, but a people who have a different culture. They like the black style of flags, costume, and makeup so their original skin might not be so black as well as the Mahishmathi people. So, why you can distinguish the 'subjects' standing in front of Kalakeya people under the disguise of Mahishmathi?
Bhallaladeva decided to kill all of them in front of him with the urgent situation, and Baahubali didn't.
It is just my presumption, but this movie is still open to such a viewpoint.
3. He follows ancient customs
Many of audience think him as a cruel tyrant, but Bhallaladeva always follows the traditions and honor of the Gods. In the ceremony, he killed a sacrifice by himself to Kali to fire up soldiers. Baahubali devoted his blood instead of an animal, but if Bhallaladeva didn't before, Could Baahubali satisfied the soldiers enough?
At the coronation, Bhallaladeva declared routine sentences as the King to pray for the flourish of the nation without any evil word. The declaration is a part of the ceremony so that there was no need to improvise like Baahubali who was not a king just a top-commander. Bhallakadeva performed excellently as a king at the ceremony.
After 25year later, he also performed devotionally. He kept his strength able to beat a wild bison like Skanda or Durga. His castle represented Surya's chariot, maintain the Siva temple, Shiva lingam, and fire for Agni.
4. He is open to progressive technologies.
He improves his daga which represent Hanuman's and chariot blades are spinning fast without motors and a telescope. It indicates that he respects tradition and also is open to new techniques and even improve them.
He also makes full use of spies, so that it might be many merchants from other countries visit him to do business. He buys their new things and encourages to improve technologies so that in the Maahishmathi Kingdom in his age is an excellent place to gather artisans and people could use the latest technologies.
5. He is stoic and iron-willed.
He has an accomplished body even he is 50 years old. It cannot achieve with laziness drinking. He excluded his enemies and held power at his young age, and long years later, he still tones up his own body and technique with keeping his political power, expanding and maintaining the castle. He is the entirely stoic person.
And it is a deadly point when we talk about him. Even he exclude his brother and surroundings of Baahubali, he doesn't forget his brother's name and shares his name with Devasena.
He is the King, who hold whole power in his hands and establish his golden statue, so his life looks prosperous, but his little happiness was only with a chain which chained Devasena. It shows his awkwardness.
OK, I already talked five things about Bhallaladeva.
However, I have more things what I would like to talk about the last fight with Mahendra Baahubali.
Bhallaladeva so severe to himself, you know, so he did not any excuse for himself, I guess he believed that Mahendra Baahubali was alive more than anyone. It is a reason why he could train himself and waited Mahendra's come back to he dreamed beat Mahendra, the son of Amarendra Baahubali.
After long years, he became a tyrant, so that doesn't have any rival without wild bison. However, Mahendra Baahubali comes back suddenly with similar face with his brother, is indiscriminately strong.
Finally, Bhallaladeva can fight against this rebel who killed his son and the leader of rebels and is the one who swept Devasena away from his chain. Mahendra is entirely his enemy so that Bhallaladeva could fight against him in the teeth. And from the viewpoint of Mahendra, he got an only one rival in his whole life.
Bhallaladeva called his brother's name, Amarendra, and called his son's name, Mahendra in his given, original name.
He wanted to tell what was a man of Amarendra Baahubali, who raised by the same mother, trained with him. Accordingly, Bhallaladeva taught the rest things of Amarendra which Kattapa cannot tell him. It is just my hope that Bhallaladeva awarded his desire, for example, he eager to hit or just come to grips with his brother during the fight with Mahendra.
'Baahubali: The Conclusion' is an intelligent movie.
If the filmmakers made this film as a simple story about a prominent absolute monarch, the audience might hesitate to praise the king because we viewers live in the modern era. However, this film tells a story about a stunning but ill-fated prince, who has a right caliber to be a king more than a king so that we can dive into enthusiasm without any hesitation.
So we modern people can annotate ourselves that we praise the prince at first sight, but we are not seeking to an absolute monarch or despotic ruler and but just we applaud his charisma.
The point is that I estimate the movie ingenious.
And that's the very reason why I praise Bhallaladeva that he got involved in the framework of the story.
If there were not Bhallaladeva in this film, Sivdu was just a boy of unusual physical strength came from a small village. He is lack of ability to be a leader of rebels. Only Bhallaladeva is enough to be a rival of Sivdu. No one can be in place of him. And the reason why the people of Maahishmathi and audience can approve Sivdu as a next king that he beat after a fight in sheer desperation against Bhallaladeva who is the strong king.
It might make the story of Bhallaladeva cheap if I said that he maintained the mighty kingdom and the throne to let Mahendra succeed when he comes back as a kingly man, so maybe I need to stop my words.
The filmmakers directed Bhallaladeva as a villain with perfect lighting, screenplay, camera angle, and music.
And Rana Daggubati as Bhallaladeva acted fantastic.
That is why I don't feel sympathy for him and defend him, and I just praise what an excellent villain he is.
And also I have a small dream―― if I get a chance to take part in a cheering style screening next time, I will cheer Bhallaladeva to the end of his life, even I am overwhelmed a calling people call Baahubali's name in the coronation sequence.
I have hope; he will beat Mahendra one day.
Related posts
Sorry, the second one is written in Japanese, in that article, I showed that Bhallaladeva is most frequently tweeted character now on twitter JPN.
