'Baahubali Epic' Review: Nothing New To Experience

Movie: Baahubali The Epic
Rating: N/A
Banner: Arka Media
Cast: Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishna, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathyaraj, Nasser, Kichha Sudeepa and others
Story: Vijayendra Prasad
Music: MM Keeravani
Director of Photography: KK Senthil Kumar
Editor: Tammiraju
Production Designer: Sabu Cyril
Action: Peter Hein
Producers: Sobhu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni
Screenplay and directed by: SS Rajamouli
Release Date: October 31, 2025

The “Baahubali” films created history. A decade after the release of the first part, Baahubali: The Beginning, director Rajamouli came up with the idea of combining both parts into a single film for a theatrical release. “Baahubali: The Epic” is the result of that effort.

Let’s see whether the film still retains its magic on screen and if merging the two parts has added any new dimension.

Story:
Sivudu (Prabhas), who lives in a forest with his tribal adoptive parents, is smitten by the graceful Avantika (Tamannaah). His pursuit of her leads him to Mahishmati, a kingdom ruled by the ruthless Bhallaladeva (Rana), where Devasena (Anushka) is held captive.

Kattappa (Satyaraj) is stunned by Sivudu’s arrival and reveals the truth about his lineage—how his father, Amarendra Baahubali (Prabhas), was betrayed and killed, and his mother imprisoned by Bhallaladeva. Learning of the king’s tyranny and his father’s fate and the role of Sivagami (Ramyakrishna), Sivudu rises in rebellion.

With his band of tribal warriors, he wages war to overthrow Bhallaladeva and reclaim his rightful place as Mahendra Baahubali, restoring justice to Mahishmati.

Artistes’ Performances:
It's already well-known and widely acclaimed, so it doesn't need to be retold.

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Technical Excellence:
Nothing needs to be said about the music, cinematography, VFX, and all that stuff. The film has already proven its technical excellence and delivered a historical emotional impact. We only need to talk about the editing aspect as far as this EPIC is concerned.

As for the editing of this combined version, The Epic, the editor has done a commendable job trimming portions like the romantic track between Prabhas and Tamannaah and other redundant scenes. Yet, the film still feels a bit long. With a few more cuts, especially in some tracks and songs, the duration could have been reduced further for a tighter experience.

Highlights:
All the plus points of the original two movies
Drama and screenplay

Drawback:
225 minutes of sitting in theater
Lack of any new addition

Analysis
“Baahubali The Epic,” a re-edited version combining “Baahubali: The Beginning” and “Baahubali: The Conclusion,” runs for 3 hours and 45 minutes. The original two parts, released in 2015 and 2017 respectively, had a combined runtime of around 5 hours and 30 minutes. Naturally, to fit into a single cinematic experience, several portions from both films were trimmed or removed.

What’s changed in ‘Baahubali The Epic’?

1. The romantic thread between Prabhas and Tamannaah Bhatia has been shortened. A voiceover by Rajamouli included to convey their relationship.
2. The “Pachabottu”, “Irrrukupo” and “Kanna Nidurinchava” songs have been removed
3. Two war sequences were shortened to maintain pace.

What’s included?

1. Two short voiceovers
2. No additional unseen footage has added.

When “Baahubali: The Beginning” first released, audiences were mesmerized by its grand visuals, majestic sets, and breathtaking battle sequences. The sequel, The Conclusion, elevated everything — from visual effects to storytelling — and became a historic blockbuster in both Indian and overseas markets.

However, nearly a decade later, Indian cinema has evolved dramatically. High-end visual effects and large-scale spectacles have become commonplace.

It’s the emotional depth and classic drama that continue to make Baahubali a landmark in Indian cinema. This emotional core still works well in the condensed version. Prabhas, with his magnetic screen presence and commanding performance, remains a delight to watch. Anushka Shetty’s powerful presence and sequences like the beheading scene in the royal courtroom continue to give a thrilling experience.

That said, the film doesn’t quite hold the same magic it did a decade ago. It hasn’t aged well, and the visual effects that once stunned audiences no longer feel extraordinary. Rajamouli himself has delivered far superior visuals in his later work, while recent blockbusters like KGF 2 and Pushpa 2 have raised the bar for action sequences. As a result, Baahubali’s action scenes don’t evoke the same goosebumps now.

Moreover, the visuals in the first half of the film (the first part) appear outdated by today’s standards. Some of the graphics now look quite basic after a decade.

Even after trimming both parts into a single cut, the film still feels long and, at times, exhausting. Sitting through 225 minutes without any fresh content is indeed a test of patience.

By the end, it feels as though Rajamouli and the producers have simply used this re-release as a marketing gimmick to cash in on the franchise’s enduring popularity, amplified by media and social media hype. “Baahubali: The Epic” comes across as just another addition to the wave of re-releases, a repackaged version of the two films stitched together, without any unseen footage or noticeable improvement in visual quality.

Overall, “Baahubali: The Epic” serves as a nostalgic trip for Prabhas fans and admirers of the Baahubali saga — a chance to relive the magic rather than rediscover it. For the general audience, however, sitting through nearly four hours might prove tiring. Since both films are available on OTT, it’s far more convenient to enjoy them at your own pace, instead of enduring 225 minutes of continuous viewing in a theater.

PS: The so-called teaser of “Baahubai: The Eternal War”, an animation film is sore to eyes than an alluring addition.

Bottom-line: Tedious

Disclaimer: As this is a combination of two previously released films and not a new production, a rating has been intentionally omitted.

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Baahubali 2 Review: Epic Conclusion!