A World of Indian Mytholgy in Baahubali

There's a bee in my bonnet that keeps buzzing around all day! The scenes and sounds of Baahubali keep coming back to me with new insights every time...I was checking my movie apps just wondering how full the movie halls are now after 9 weeks and got a jolt seeing that the epic movie has been taken off screens from yesterday...To drown my sorrow I resorted to viewing the downloaded version (which I had resolved not to see till now...okay..I did cheat sometimes..) 

I got reminded again of what I had promised myself to write some time back...about how Baahubali borrows some characters from Indian mythology. It's no secret and S.S. Rajamouli also says that his characters are inspired from Amar Chitra Katha..It is interesting to unravel what he must have thought while etching out each character...

Baahubali = Rama + Lakshman ?!

So I'm talking about Amarendra and not Mahendra...S.S.R always calls Baahubali as 'My Ram'. We can relate to that feeling. Rama the Dharma incarnate...the warrior, the king and God who showed us how to live by dharma and for dharma. Baahubali is considered in the same realm of Rama. In many instances in the movie he is also considered a God among the common people. When he is exiled by Sivagami Devi the people in the courtyard hail him as a God who has come to live with them. But in my mind, Baahu is the Rama that I wish Rama would have been! Now this may seem blasphemous and I don't mean any disrespect. No other prince perhaps underwent so many heartaches and troubles as Rama. But it still remains a fact that he left a pregnant Sita in the forest without looking back. 

Baahu is unswerving in his devotion to his mother and follows her words to the T. This is comparable to Rama's devotion to his father and mother and even his step moms. But Rama as shown to us would never have questioned his father's words even if it was wrong. For Rama, dharma was about following one's duty above all. And that duty was to listen to his elders whatever that was. But Baahu's definition of dharma was quite different. He was taught by Sivagami that dharma was about doing the right thing whatever it takes. It's an interesting conundrum that Sivagami fails to follow her own words. Her ego in the face of a new woman in her son's life was her downfall. 

When Sivagami Devi tells Baahu that she chose Devasena for Bhalla and not him, he is stumped for a moment, but rallies back quickly to uphold dharma as was taught to him. He unflinchingly tells her to her face that she is wrong to decide a woman's fate for her. 

When a heavily pregnant Devasena is brought in front of the entire court in chains, Baahu is shown walking in really furious. But he still waits patiently to hear the reasons. He listens, absorbs and understands with his intuition. This is classic Rama. But that's where Rama would have stopped. If Baahu had been truly Rama, then he would have presented his case and stepped aside for the King or the Queen Mother to decide on Devasena's fate. He would have steeled his heart if his wife had been consigned to the dungeons. He would have suffered silently but would never have spoken out against Sivagami Devi. 

But Baahu acts more like Lakshman here, all glorious in his anger and slices off Sethupathi's head. He forgets in that moment that he isn't the king. He forgets that he isn't even the Senapathi, but just the King's cousin. When the verdict is out that they are exiled, he holds his pregnant wife gently and walks outside with great dignity, a true King albeit without a throne or crown. (This is something that's etched in my brain by now and that's why I chose it for the banner) 

Yes I do wish Rama would have been more like Baahu!

Bhallaldev = Duryodhana + Ravana + Sakuni

Bhallaldev is perhaps the most complex character in Baahubali. He cannot be simply Ravana or Duryodhana. He is a composite of many characters of mythology of which I have recognised these three. When he desires Devasena even though he knows his cousin loves her, he is Ravana. But like Ravana, who was taking revenge for the sake of his sister, Bhalla might have been only focused on the throne and how he can use the knowledge to his advantage. We may never know whether Devasena was ever his objective. For instance if Sivagami Devi had not taken the bait laid by Bijjaladev and accepted Devasena's argument that she loves Baahubali and not Bhalla, what would this character have done? 

Like Duryodhana he is in love with the idea of power and the throne which was denied to his dad, evident in the way he talks like a mad man to his crown. But unlike Duryodhana he never shows open animosity towards Baahu. He plots and plots silently like Sakuni. His cunning grasp of his mother's weakness and his cousin's innocence are a class apart villainy. That can be matched only by Sakuni's shrewd assessment of Duryodhana's cousins. 

Shivudu = Hanuman + Shiva 

In Part 1, it is easy to think of Shivudu as Hanuman. He exhibits superhuman strength and agility. Remember the Shivaling lifting scene and the statue pulling scene? He leaps and jumps over that humongous waterfalls like a vanar and is impulsive to the core. Of course, please let's forget the scenes with Avanthika for a moment. That's not Hanuman at all! But the scene where he jumps from one palace corridor to another causing havoc and fire to spread reminds me of Hanuman's antics in the Lankan palace completely. 

In the end when he fights Bhalla, there is a direct correlation to Lord Shiva. We get a feeling he is drawing strength from the mere touch of the marble Shivling. The background score reminds us of his Shivaling lifting scene from Part 1 and the power struggle between Bhalla and Mahendra subtly shifts in favor of Mahendra at that moment. Hanuman is said to be Shiva's incarnation. Shivudu displays both their characteristics beautifully. 

Devasena = Draupadi + Sita 

Devasena's fiery countenance in front of Mahishmathi's court reminds you sharply of Draupadi's anger when she is disrobed in front of all in the Hastinapur court. She is let down royally by her husbands while Krishna comes to her rescue. Thank heavens, Devasena's husband doesn't disappoint her like the Pandavas do!

Earlier during her Swayamwar, Draupadi speaks out very clearly against Karna particpating in the archery contest. This characteristic of boldly speaking out her mind is Devasena's trademark too! Both Draupadi and Sita are warrior princesses (atleast in modern interpretations!) which Devasena is too. And like Sita in Asokavanam, Devasena waits patiently for her son to rescue her for 25 years! She is truly a Queen among queens!

Sivagami Devi - Gandhari + Kaikeyi

I originally did not include Sivagami Devi in this post as I felt it is impossible to find a character equivalent to her in mythology. I looked around other works of fiction, like my all time favorite, 'Ponniyin Selvan' but couldn't really match her with anyone. But my dear friend MV pointed out these two characters whose some traits do match Sivagami Devi.

Gandhari even though she was the mother of the Kauravas, was fair and treated the Pandavas with love and affection. Kaikeyi adored Rama more than Bharatha and was all fine with him being the King until Kooni convinced her otherwise. Kaikeyi was a warrior princess and fought alongside Dasaratha and saved him too on one occasion (and we know very well what happened because of that!) Sivagami's past is not shown in the movies, but she doesn't back down from a fight and we know how she ruled Mahishmathi in the absence of a King at the helm. Kaikeyi asks Rama to go into exile to make Bharatha king, while Sivagami thinks she is fair and asks Baahu to go out of the palace. 

Kattappa = Bhakth Hanuman + Bhishma

Kattappa the ever faithful is truly a Bhakth of Baahubali. He follows Baahu with true devotion. Even though he also respects Sivagami Devi and carries out whatever she says without question, there is a difference in the way that relationship works. It's more of an employer-employee relationship.

With Baahubali, he never acts like a slave. Remember how that is established in Part 1?! He loves him with all his heart and if he had been asked to open his heart and show, it would have shown Baahu's picture. But of course, even for all the Sivagamis in the world, Hanuman would never have put a sword behind Rama's back. There in lies the fact that the Bhakth in Kattappa and the slave in him were at contradiction. That's where Bhishma's character comes into picture. 

The all powerful Bhishma, for the sake of his dharma or duty to the Hastinapur crown, had to stay with the Kauravas even though he loved the Pandavas and had to wage a war against them. Kattappa too acts for the sake of Bhalla and his son Badra in Part 1 as he believes that's his duty. In Part 2, once he knows Baahu's son is alive and well, his duty(to Bhalla) and love(to Baahu) shifts to Mahendra and the Bhakth and slave are at peace finally!

Bijjaladev = Dhritarashtra + Sakuni + Kooni

Bijjala is obviously Dhritarashtra with all his angst at not being made the King when he is the elder son. His anger and strength that he shows by hitting out at the pillar is reminiscent of Dhritarashtra trying to hug Bhima (a statue actually!) to crush him. Therein stops the comparison. His cunning and deviousness is typical Sakuni even though he is not the master plotter. He also reminds one of Kooni when he keeps telling Sivagami of how Baahu is plotting to overthrow Bhalla from kingship. Kooni does this with Kaikeyi when she goes on and on about how Kaushalya will become Queen Mother if Rama becomes king. 

Baahubali, the movie's strength lies in its composite characters which remind you of the two greatest epics of our country. We are intrinsically linked to these epics and derive much of what is right and wrong and everything between from them. It is no wonder that Baahubali is not an easy movie to forget. It is going to be tough for any other historical or fantasy movie to live up to the expectations that this movie has created. Let's keep our fingers crossed till then!