Baahubali The Epic.. A possible script..

Merging, remastering and compressing a 2hr 38mins of Baahubali: The Beginning and 2hr 47mins of Baahubali: The Conclusion is no mean achievement and this is just my crazy idea to imagine what and how the movie could be cut to compress all that emotion, story and action into a 3 hr 44 movie:

(Fan) Screenplay by: [Anilmation] Duration: 3 Hours 44 Minutes

Genre: Mythic Historical Epic / Action-DramaPROLOGUE (8 mins)

Storm rages. Sivagami, wounded and bleeding, emerges from a cave clutching an infant. Soldiers chase her through the river.Sivagami (to the skies):

“Lord Shiva, save this child. Mahendra Baahubali must live for Mahishmati!”She lifts the baby above the river, drowns, and the child flows downriver—found by villagers. The woman Sanga raises him as Sivudu.

ACT I: THE RISE OF SIVUDU (35 mins):

Sequence of Sivudu’s youth under the waterfall. He dreams of the mountain above—his destiny beyond sight. After countless failures, he climbs the cliff.Add deleted visual montage of his struggles with storms, rockfalls (from alternate Japanese cut).Reaching the summit, he meets Avantika, a warrior of Kuntala. He learns of her mission—to free Devasena, queen imprisoned by Mahishmati’s tyrant Bhallaladeva.Romantic tension builds. Avantika’s tears as Sivudu paints her shoulder-tattoo remains intact. When she gives him her mission, he whispers:

“The woman you love should never go to war alone.”

ACT II: THE RESCUE OF DEVASENA (25 mins):

Sivudu infiltrates Mahishmati. The iconic statue sequence is retained: he saves the falling structure by sheer strength.Amid celebrations, he storms the prison fort and rescues Devasena, battling Bhallaladeva’s son Bhadra. Sivudu kills him swiftly.Kattappa, the slave-warrior, pursues—but seeing Sivudu’s face, drops his sword.

Kattappa (overwhelmed): “Baahubali!”Cut to a wide reveal of Sivudu’s stunned face.

INTERMISSION FLASHBACK: THE LEGEND OF AMARENDRA (1 hr 15 mins):

A beautiful dissolve leads into Kattappa’s narration, spanning Amarendra’s youth:Queen Sivagami raising both princes, Amarendra and Bhallaladeva.The Kalakeya War in full glory—kept intact with enhanced deleted footage of Baahubali’s strategic counterstorm tactics.Baahubali’s mercy on civilians contrasts Bhallaladeva’s cruelty.Despite Amarendra's heroism, political deceit makes Bhallaladeva king, sowing seeds of future tragedy.Amarendra and Devasena (Love & Politics)Add deleted Kuntala kingdom scenes:

The joyous market, the archery practice, the humorous spar between Amarendra and Devasena where they ambush bandits.Their romance evolves naturally—ending in a rebellious marriage against Sivagami’s arranged plans.Bijjaladeva manipulates events, accusing Amarendra of treason. He is banished yet revered by the people.

ACT III: THE ASSASSINATION AND THE FALL (35 mins)

Devasena, pregnant, faces growing tension as Amarendra continues serving the people outside the palace.

A night sequence—deleted from the theatrical version—shows Amarendra fighting off a surprise Kalakeya ambush to protect Kattappa (from Japanese alternate cut).​

Moments later, Kattappa lures him into isolation.

Amarendra (smiling): “My sword for you always.”

Kattappa (trembling): “My loyalty... even when it breaks my soul.”

He stabs Amarendra.

The heart-wrenching “Why, Kattappa?” echoes before Amarendra dies under a monsoon sky.

Soon, the kingdom drowns in chaos—Devasena escapes with her infant, Sivagami sacrifices her life saving the baby (linking back to the prologue).

ACT IV: MAHENDRA’S RETURN (45 mins):

The revelation devastates Sivudu—now Mahendra Baahubali. With renewed rage, he rallies Avantika, Kattappa, and the rebel armies of Kuntala.

Massive battle preparation montage—blacksmiths forging weapons, rebels painting banners, and Kattappa standing before Baahubali’s statue.

The final siege of Mahishmati:

Elephants charge, flaming boulders crash, water siege machines erupt.

Bhallaladeva fights with monstrous ferocity, wielding spiked chariots.

Mahendra and Bhalla duel atop the burning palace.

Bhallaladeva (mocking): “Even your father kneeled before me!”

Mahendra: “He kneeled before loyalty. I kneel before justice.”

After a brutal sword exchange, Mahendra impales Bhallaladeva on Devasena’s burning pyre.

EPILOGUE (8 mins)

Coronation sequence mirrors Amarendra’s victory long ago. Avantika crowns Mahendra. Devasena blesses her son, as Kattappa bows in peace.

The camera cranes up to the palace spire.

Child’s voice (off): “Will Baahubali’s son rule one day?”

Elder’s voice: “Only Lord Shiva knows.”

Fade out on the Mahishmati insignia—restored glory, perpetual legend.

NOTES ON COMPRESSION AND FLOW

Songs retained only as instrumental montages.

Dialogue density cut by 30% for fluid transitions.

Flashback transitions designed with visual rhyme (e.g., Shivudu lifting Lingam → Amarendra lifting War Elephant).

Final runtime balanced:

Act I: 35 mins

Act II: 25 mins

Flashback: 75 mins

Act III: 35 mins

Act IV + Epilogue: 50 mins

Credit Scroll: 4 mins

This unified script balances spectacle, emotion, and mythic scale—interweaving the emotional arcs of mother, son, and duty while maintaining momentum for a single, seamless epic experience

With love.. Anil

"Tum Paas Aa Rahe Ho"(Veer Zaara, 2004): Its lyrics keep haunting

Just stumbled across a song that I keep singing in my mind occassionally during travel or during relaxing times, among other things:

I know word by word translation might not do complete justice without the context in which this song gives out the beauty in its full glory:

Occassionally, I can explain it in the context of the movie, as below:

Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly

Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly

Aankhon mein chha rahe ho You're spreading in my eyes

Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me

The protagonist is feeling the closeness of his lover while is is missing her during his days in a foreign (Pakistani prison in this case) prison. He is wrongly arrested for being a spy while on his way back to India. This song is not present in the movie, but the lyrics sync beautifully with the emotions that he might be going through in the prison, longing for her. Remember, he sacrificed his original plan of taking away zaara by understanding the pain of her mother in a beautiful dialogue, which I am translating here for context: 
Zaara's mother: "Is every boy of your nation like you?"(after witnessing his sacrifice)
Veer: "I am not sure if about that, but every Indian mother is definitely like you!"

Just giving a link to this particular scene below for your reference:

Chupke, chupke Silently, silently

Chupke, chupke Silently, silently

Dil mein samaa rahe ho You're settling in my heart

Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me

Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly

Chupke, chupke Silently, silently

If you observe closely, the words "dheere" and "chupke" get repeated multiple times, but it doesnt feel repetitive because it shows the mood of Veer and the setting he is locked in: time running very slowly, and silence of his prison.

Jhukti hui yeh palkein Your eyes that look down

Khulte hue yeh gesu Your hair that is flowing

Jhukti hui yeh palkein Your eyes that look down

Khulte hue yeh gesu Your hair that is flowing

Yeh sharm ki adayein Your style full of shyness

Woh shokhiyon ka jaadu The magic of your pranks

Kaise, kaise Of what kind, of what kind

Kaise, kaise Of what kind, of what kind

Sapne dikha rahe ho You're showing me dreams

Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me

Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly

Chupke, chupke Silently, silently

Veer remembers all those moments that happened with Zaara: 

Her eyes looked down while crossing a rope bridge.

Her hair is flowing with the wind, covering her beautiful face, and as he pushes the strands away while rescuing her, he sees her face for the first time! She was terrified with the height and he even mentions that during the moment.

He remembers all of these and feels her coming closer in his dreams.

Phoolon bhare nazaare These flower filled sceneries

Yeh khushboon ke dere These fragrance filled places

Phoolon bhare nazaare These flower filled sceneries

Yeh khushboon ke dere These fragrance filled places

Lagte hai khwaab jaise It seems like a dream

Yeh shaam yeh savere These evenings and mornings

Haule, haule Softly, softly

Haule, haule Softly, softly

Armaan jaga rahe ho You're awakening my desires

Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me

Veer remembers and feels all those flower filled fields(specifically the mustard fields in Punjab/Haryana) across which he roamed with Zaara. He even feels the aroma across them and the scenic moments during evenings and mornings when the sun rise starts to reawaken his desires!

Chupke, chupke Silently, silently

Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly

Aankhon mein chha rahe ho You're spreading in my eyes

Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me

Aa ha ha ... ha ... ho ho ho  Hmmm ... la la la Hmmm ... la la la

Credits: 

Music: Madan Mohan

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

All the above scenes might not be possible to fit in the movie due to length issues or breaking the narrative flow. Imagine this song coming out when we see an old Veer in the dark prison. It might not fit at that moment, but when we imagine it after the movie ends, we will realize how beautiful these lyrics are in the context of the movie. 

I do realize the political conflicts between India and Pakistan, but this is just a movie and movies are for entertainment and experience and not for judgements or hatred. I am not sure if Veer-Zaara was accepted with the same enthusiasm during its re-release in November 2024, that it received when it was released long back in November 2004. During its initial release and my first viewing, the movie didnt make that big an impact, but as I understood its soul and the lyrics clearly, I keep revelling in all those symbolic moments that were part of this movie!

With love.. Anil

The story behind my music jam: "Inevitable Revenge" under Anilmation Tunes.

Inevitable Revenge by anilreddy12001.

This has been the track that I mixed and enjoyed the process the most in the past 3-4 years. 

Music Maker Jam is the app that I used to create this and it has a theme of revenge but with a focus on the pain and the way he feels after losing his girl and finally getting the revenge by killing the convict gang. It has a feel of the movie "Ghajini".

If I were to shoot a small video for this track, it would focus more on the guy's facial expressions and body language more than the violence that he is creating around him, with occasional blurred, close-up visuals of his girl enjoying a stroll along a beach.

Basically it should feel like he is getting released from prison with lots of psychological energy rather than physical masculinity.

He would look rather simple in a dirty, casual t-shirt and a cargo pant, with a machette in his hand instead of armed with a firearm. I somehow don't enjoy someone using advanced machinery in an action scene, and would rather like something more simple as a tool to inflict the damage. Basically the weapon shouldn't dominate the shot. He should dominate the act. The audience should see his intent to kill and feel for him rather than whistle for those weapons.

And if I were to add lyrics to this song, it should be worth adding or else completely avoid any vocals. If we can convey the same message with a BGM that depicts the situation perfectly, we don't need lyrics. Yes, in some cases we do need lyrics to understand certain situations, but they should be clear instead of being dominated by the background music or heavy instrumentation.

Below is the link for anyone to listen:

https://api.jam-community.com/song/detail/5b7a3a6c-42a1-11f0-a9e4-06b28167ed55

With love.. Anil

Thunderbolts: A Return to the golden "Marvel"?

Okay, it has been a long time since I actually wrote an article. There are many reasons for that:

The busy life being one of those, but the primary reason remains getting caught in an unending loop of weekdays-weekends-weekdays-weekends.

Yes, I do have many thoughts in my mind but there was no way to express it on a platform due to lack of time or the enthusiasm. It got lost somewhere off late, but definitely still alive inside.

So today let me describe my experience of watching a marvel movie called "Thunderbolts".

It has been a long time since I watched an MCU movie with so much interest, and the recent "Captain America: Brave new World" comes close to this.

Credit: Marvel studios

First off, the cast: We know most of them through previous movies like "Black Widow" and "Antman and the Wasp", but none of those really worked wonders at the box office. "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" was a nice Disney+ series but didnt make much of an impact.

But this movie is well made. The action felt real, the performances natural, the threat stunning and overall plot leaves you guessing and asking for more.

Plot line:

Without putting out any spoilers(it has been more than a month since its release, but I would still keep it spoiler-free), Valentina's plans to eliminate the thunderbolts fails, but not before a new character enters in a very innocent way. This new character is Sentry: A new threat for the world. After the thunderbolts escape from her, Valentina captures and controls Sentry and the mismatches try to join hands to stop Sentry. Sounds simple is it not? No. The way they finally come together and form the "new avengers" at the end is what make it truly special.

What works:

The chemistry between Yelena Belova, US Agent, Red Guardian and Winter Soldier. They all feel like the perfect misfit needed in this movie.

What could have improved:

There could have been some breathing space amid all the action and solo villain's pursuit.

What doesnt work:

Departure from the thunderbolts expected by the audience and turning them into "New Avengers" is something most cannot digest. For those not much concerned about comic book events, it might not matter much, but it does leave some kind of "void". I expected a little bit more depth for Taskmaster and Sentry's chilhood trauma. It felt superficial. 

My verdict: Definitely a must watch for Marvel fans. But did it reach Marvel's previous glory? Just missed by a whisker.

With love.. Anil