Baahubali: Crown of Blood animated series review: Solid storytelling trumps over animation

It’s been seven years since the release of Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017), the second part of the film franchise.

While the debate over whether a third instalment in the franchise will ever get made is never-ending, it’s heartening to know that the world of Baahubali, as promised by its director SS Rajamouli, continues to take different forms.

The world of Baahubali is vast, so vast beyond one’s imagination, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

Even after all these years, there’s palpable excitement to find out more about Bhallaladeva’s childhood, what makes Kattappa so loyal to his queen, or why there isn’t a single strand of hatred in Baahubali.

Answers to such questions and more are beautifully addressed in Baahubali: Crown of Blood, an animation series from Disney+ Hotstar.

Also Read: Telugu cinema’s new wave of actors takes centre stage

Synopsis

The key characters from Baahubali movies take centre stage in the animated series as well.

The story follows one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Mahishmati kingdom, still ruled by queen Sivagami.

Her two sons, Baahubali and Bhallaladeva, have to join forces once again to lock horns with the dreaded warlord — Raktadeva.

Raised in the forge of the slave mines through hate and pain, he has built a new army of followers where justice only comes from the slash of a sword.

For the very first time in Mahishmati, the brothers unite! 🤩❤️

Hotstar Specials S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali: Crown of Blood streaming from 17th May.#BaahubaliOnHotstar pic.twitter.com/ZJ74KFNwEu

— Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) May 14, 2024

Related: Rajamouli talks about Baahubali: Crown of Blood animated series

A prequel

Baahubali: Crown of Blood more or less operates like a prequel to the first part of the movie.

It dwells deep into the bond of Sivagami and Baahubali while also giving a glimpse into Bhallaladeva’s childhood and the events that pushed him to become so bitter and full of rage.

There’s also a fascinating subplot featuring Kattappa that tests his loyalty to his queen and the kingdom.

As an animated series, the show doesn’t quite push any new boundaries, but it shines on the storytelling front, making this a fitting watch.

This story could also work well as another part of the film franchise, probably with a different cast altogether.

The biggest achievement of this show is that it succeeds in keeping the viewer invested once you’re past the first episode.

Even with the generic animation work, the engaging screenplay with decent twists makes the proceedings compelling.

Major highlights

A flashback to Bhallaladeva’s childhood helps one understand what turned him into this evil prince with no ethics whatsoever.

On the other hand, the web show also explores the humanitarian side of Baahubali, and how he strongly believes in peace and harmony over war.

We also get to see Kattappa, one of the most loved and revered characters in the story, turning negative for a brief period.

It is the writing and the effort that has gone into taking the world of Baahubali into unexplored territories that makes this show largely engaging.

The animation needed to be more refined, especially concerning world-building. It feels more like a cartoon than an animated show which doesn’t make it effectively appealing.

Nevertheless, it’s a decent attempt that’s elevated to respectable stature by the strong writing.

As the lead composer, Kaala Bhairava has done a fabulous job. While he finetunes a lot of the original soundtracks from the movies, he still manages to leave a good impact on the final output.

Among the voice actors, it is Sharad Kelkar as Baahubali, brings so much gravitas to the character.

Others who landed their voices were: Samay Thakkar, Manoj Pande, Mausam, Rajesh Khattar, Deepak Sinha, Pramod Mathur, and Rohan Jadhav.

Verdict

At 20-odd minutes an episode, Baahubali: Crown of Blood is ideal binge-watch material.

(Views expressed here are personal.)