This Indian film produced in Teluga, a south Indian language, and dubbed in Hindi and Tamil with a subtitled English version has become a surprising hit in India and overseas markets. Released in the US on February 28 in a relatively small number of 425 theatres without any apparent marketing effort the film scored close to $20 million by May 10 and $125 million in India. With a high audience scores and Rotten Tomatoes rating of close to 90 out of a 100 it proved popular generating the highest per screen box office of all films released on the February 28 weekend. The trade press reported that the film had the third-biggest foreign language debut income in the United States. In part the success is based on a fairly large captive Indo-American audience that has in the New York metropolitan area 1.8 million upscale individuals with high family incomes, thus many could afford the charges for viewing Baahabuli 2 in IMAX theaters. As in India, there was a cross over to Hindi speakers in the United States. In India, the film scored $155 million by mid May, making this Tollywood production the most successful Indian film ever produced and demonstrating its appeal to Indian populations not speaking Teluga. The film offers the welcome message of the defeat of evil in a plausible story, a recipe for sequels in this prospective blockbuster series.

The film is part two of the Baahubali franchise following the commercially successful first Bsaahubali film. The director Rajamouli  is now considering a sequel. With a running length of two hours and 47 minutes the film stars the actor Prabhas as the semi god Baahubali who has extraordinary physical and mental powers battling his evil half-brother Bhallaladeva for rule of their ancient kingdom. The narrative fiction fantasy covers three generations placing the queen mother in the center of intrigues and murder. There is the fully played out romantic involvement of Baahubali with a princess that his half-brother craves for, extended song and dance number sequences and marvelously executed battles in appealing locations lasting thirty minutes.  This film’s success may very well be due to its investment in special effects. It is amazing what the performers can do in their fights and how ingenious battle technologies are employed, all in superb choreography.

Claus Mueller   filmexchange@gmail.com