#Salaar Part 2

[playermagic23]

Salaar 2 gears up for filming with Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran in May 2024 in Hyderabad; makers aim December 2025 release

The highly anticipated sequel to Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire is set to begin filming soon. Released in December 2023, the film marked the first collaboration between Prabhas and Prashanth Neel.

True to its title, the first part was always envisioned as part one of a larger story. The makers confirmed the sequel's title even before the first film's release: Salaar Part 2: Shauryanga Parvam. Set in the dangerous city of Khansaar, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire explored themes of friendship amidst a backdrop of violence. The sequel will also provide a clearer picture of the political landscape and character dynamics, with a focus on confrontations and action sequences.

[navinskizz]

“It’s the rule he defined, No one can break it”

“Whoever stops the seal must Die”

[lillieslotus]

i am so excited to witness varadeva as enemies! single most attractive deed two people can entertain is being enemies while having the hots for each other!

fury filled eyes ! hands grabbing lapel ! heavy breathing ! close proximity ! raw rage pulsing through veins ! rolling on the floor having molded into one body ! oof ! 😮‍💨

deva’s busting a nut the second varadha starts his striptease in preparation for a physical fight (foreplay)

varadha’s losing the idgaf war and pulling out the bedroom eyes the second he sees deva dripping in blood

[rambheem-is-real]

Varadha's Greatest Strength Part 1

A Varadeva fic

Baachi pov for Part 1

warnings: NSFW in Part 2

AU where in the crossfire, Raja Mannar, Radha Rama, Rudra, and the Ghaniyar tribe have perished. Varadha is about to assume the throne when the Shouryangas come to attack.

-

"Anna, they're getting in, we can't stop them!" Baachi cries out, watching the metal doors of the Khansaar inner court warp from the pressure of hundreds of warriors fighting to get inside.

His older brother stands behind him, unmoving. The coolness of his demeanor is irritating Baachi to no end. The Shouryangas were literally on their doorstep and Varadharaja Mannar hadn't even drawn a sword.

"Anna! What do we do!"

Finally, his brother looks at Baachi, and his lips twitch into the slightest smile.

"We can't beat them, don't bother. Let them come in."

At this, even Varadha's loyalists gape at him, but before they can say anything, the doors smash open.

With a cheer, the Shouryangas make their way into the room, quickly surrounding the few men left willing to fight for the last lord of the Mannarsi.

"Anyone lay a hand on my brother and I'll-" Baachi is cut off by Baba's hand on the arm holding up his rifle. He looks at Baba, who just shakes his head and gestures at a familiar figure walking towards them.

"You!" Baachi exclaims. "After all my brother did for you, after bringing you here, you dare betray him?"

Devaratha doesn't even look at Baachi as he passes by, who realizes in horror that Devaratha is going straight for his older brother, standing in front of the Khansaar throne.

The Shouryanga army and Varadha's loyalists both hold their breaths, waiting to see what would happen.

Devaratha reaches Varadha, who still has that damned smile on his face.

Please let it be honorable and quick, Baachi prays. It was bad enough that the person his brother loved the most would be the one to end him.

To everyone's surprise, instead of striking Varadha down with his sword and claiming the throne, as was Devaratha's birthright, Baachi sees Devaratha kneel.

It's a slow, deliberate action, meant to dispel any confusion over its purpose. Devaratha keeps eye contact with his brother until he fully reaches the ground, and then drops into a low bow.

"I, Devaratha Raisan," the man starts in his gravelly voice. "Pledge allegiance to Varadharaja Mannar of the Mannarsi tribe."

Gasps are heard around the room, and the Shouryanga leaders, Bharava and Dheru, look furious. Baachi himself isn't sure what's happening.

"I have vowed to protect my Sulthan, and I will always be his Salaar. Anyone who disagrees will cross Dhaara Raisan's son."

Baachi sees his brother's smile widen into something more joyful, something softer and more intimate than he thinks a roomful of enemy Shouryanga warriors should be seeing. And in the second twist of the night, Varadharaja Mannar moves forward to kneel before Devaratha.

He gently caresses Devaratha's face, who leans into the touch as if he craves it.

"My Salaar," Varadha says, so softly Baachi almost can't hear it over the sound of the unhappy Shouryangas. He can't see what expression Devaratha makes at that, but it's enough for Varadha to grip him by the jaw and pull him in for a kiss.

Oh. Ohhhhh.

"Deva, what-" Bhaarava tries to yell but is interrupted by Devaratha, who stands up and raises his sword.

"I WILL NOT LET ANYONE TOUCH HIM!"

The declarations stuns the Shouryangas, who, after a long pause, start to back away.

The reality of the situation sets in for Baachi, and he can see from the suddenly hopeful faces that Baba, Bilal, Rinda, and the others have also understood.

Devaratha was never a threat, never a weakness, he had always been Varadha's greatest strength.

Baachi's face breaks out into a grin. "All hail the next karta of Khansaar, Varadharaja Mannar!"

"No, Baachi." His brother says, standing up. He locks eyes with Devaratha once more. "There will be a change to the Nibandhanam."

Varadha turns to address the entire room. "Shouryangas!" He calls.

The retreating army pauses. Bhaarava glares at Baachi's brother. "What do you want?"

Varadha just smiles at him, and grasps Devaratha's hand. "I propose an equal partnership between the Mannars and the Shouryangas."

Dheru scoffs, and Bhaarava narrows his eyes. "And how will you do that? When the rightful heir to the throne and the savior of our tribe is beneath you?"

Varadha shakes his head. "Deva is not beneath me. My Deva is always an equal to me, the one I love most."

Devaratha gives him the sappiest look Baachi has seen a man give another person, and he internally shudders.

Ugh. That man was going to be his brother-in-law soon at this rate.

"Which is why I want to rule Khansaar with Deva. As a partnership."

There it was.

Bhaarava gives Devaratha a cautious look, who nods.

"And what will that entail for us?"

Baachi tunes out once the negotiations start, but he's glad that his brother is alive and happy once more, even if it means he has to keep dealing with Devaratha.

He catches Varadha's eyes during a break, and sees the question in them: Are you okay with this? With him as well?

Baachi smiles in response, and sees Varadha relax at the confirmation that Baachi approves.

-

tagging moots and the people that commented on my post about writing a smut fic: @deadloverscity @sada-siva-sanyaasi @sambaridli @sometimesbrave @just-a-lazy-person @vijayasena @mad-who-ra @umbrulla @jitterbugbetty @importantpiratesgetscaredofme @chocolate-1-0-1 @pitrsattabhaadmeinjao @sinistergooseberries @tulodiscord @varadevaficrecs

[magicaldragons]

the colorgrading in Salaar

the coloring of salaar is very high contrast, and leans heavily towards warmer tones

and even though this may not be visually pleasing to some who don't prefer these specific aesthetics, it is very necessary, in order to frame this universe to seem as oppressive and grim as it is meant to look.

this universe (and also kgf) are universes where every single moment, whether centering around a relationship, or part of the backstory, is blanketed by the theme of sheer violence and loss.

movies with a dark storyline and vibrant colors (for example, baahubali, or rrr) can afford to be colored like that, because we're MEANT to enjoy the lighter aspects of the universe as well. the audience has to experience even the softer emotions and any festivity happening within the universe.

the effects used in salaar are required to immerse the audience in that kind of dark, saturated environment:

so the audience doesn't forget – especially in scenes with the absence of any onscreen violence – the grit of this place and the people within it.

the severity of the violence depicted and the magnitude of the world building doesn't matter – if the audience isn't able to effortlessly accept that this is a fantasy, dystopian setting.

it should also be noted that the movie has no moments where we're forced to sit through that classic mistake some movies make: the 'night blindness' coloring. where, in the interest of depicting a physically/metaphorically dark place, the audience's visibility of the scene is restricted the subtle lighting of these dark scenes has been handled well:

additionally, prashanth and the actors have also specified, that the whole universe and all motives within it, rely partly, if not completely on violence – especially deva's character, whose violence is something that's an integral part of him, so his scenes in particular are very warm, tone-wise

but i do think the movie overall has been balanced well to prevent them from having a strictly monotonous look (something that guntur kaaram received criticism for):

the main purpose of the film's artistic choices with coloring and contrast is to subconsciously drag the audience's perspective out of reality & into the darkness of it's make-believe world, and it does achieve that

even though consciously, it may not align with people's aesthetic preferences.

[celestesinsight]

Salaar Analysis: Mahara Women!

We were introduced to the Mahara women and their plight when Deva entered Khanshar as Varadha's one man army. We watched a young girl being taken away in a vehicle, while another young girl was running after them. We got to know more about these women from Baba, when he described Mahara as poultry farms, except there were no hens. The meaning of this statement would later become clear, when Vishnu's disgusting actions were shown in detail. Even though, the scene explained about their conditions, we were still left clueless about their affinity to the three tribes of Khanshar.

This issue has been discussed too many times in the fandom and mostly ended with the conclusion that Mahara used to be one of Varadha's territory. Varadha used to have three territories, one Dora territory, Bhargat (that he gave up for Deva) and two Kapus, one of which was Pathran. But Varadha during the ceasefire voting, only held one vote as Kapus of Pathran. Hence, a common HC in fandom that Varadha lost Mahara before 2010. This theory could explain why Vishnu thought of humiliating Varadha by making him watch him assaulting those women. Another common HC in fandom is that Varadha's mother belonged to the Mahara.

There is a second theory about their origin that I have seen in a few YouTube videos. They speculate that Mahara women have some connections with Shiva Mannar and Shouryangas tribe. In the above photo, we could see that the bell-like ornament worn by Shiva Mannar, was also a part of Mahara women's attire. But neither Varadha nor Raja Mannar ever wore this ornament as Kartha, so it was definitely not a Mannarsi ornament. There was one thing that changed when the regime passed from Shiva Mannar to Raja Mannar, the decimation of the Shouryangas tribe. I have even watched a YouTube video stating that Shiva Mannar also had two wives like his son, one of them being Raja Mannar's mother and the other was a woman from Shouryangas tribe. And he wore that ornament to honour her.

I am not completely sold on this idea of Shiva Mannar's wife being a Shouryangas . But I do believe that there is a connection between them and Mahara women. And before I state my reasons, I want to point out something.

When the presence of Shouryangas was revealed during the climax of Khanshar, the cyan colour palette was used to portray them. Deva's Shouryangas heritage was also shown by colouring his upper body cyan. This colour is also used as a hidden clue in many scenes of the movie, pointing towards Deva being a Shouryangas.

During the promise scene.

During 2017 Deva's entry.

Again for a split second when he took the sword from the soldier before decapitating Naarang.

When Radha Rama asked the Mannar army to be alert in the entire Khanshar, depicting the rising Shouryangas threat.

So, when I was rewatching Salaar again last Friday, I noticed this colour again in the background during the 'Aaru Sethulunnaa' song, behind the Mahara women.

This shows that Mahara women have some connections to the Shouryangas tribe. Either they were the women from the Shouryangas tribe captured during the massacre and kept captives in Mahara all these years or they were a kind of sub-tribe, that forms a small part of the larger Shouryangas tribe. Or they could be people living in Shouryangas territory under their protection.

This could also explain Shiva Mannar wearing those bell-like ornaments. As the leader of the three tribes, he could wear other tribes ornaments to honour them or show his neutral stance.

Varadha's connection to Mahara is still a mystery. And I hope we get some clear answers about it in part 2.

[ifitsagirlphebeifitsaboyphoebo]

One can go to any lengths for the one we love. Case in point

Deva touching a live wire and enduring an almost fatality just so he can return Varadha's mukku pogu(nose ring) from Rudra..

Deva returning to Khansaar after 25 years to be by Varadha's side

Deva uncaring about how others (including Varadha's family) are not happy to see him and are skeptical about him , he doesn't care what anyone else thinks as long as Varadha wants him near.

Deva restraining himself when others harass, humiliate and demean Varadha, when in actual he wants to rip their heads off.

Deva beheading a Lord for trying to threaten Varadha.

Deva incarcerated for beheading said Lord.

Deva performing an oath to God ceremony to proclaim his loyalty and devotion to Varadha's cause,becoming one with him..his Salaar.

Deva willingly giving up his throne(Im assuming he knows he's next in line to the throne) for Varadha

Deva leaving Khansaar for Varadha, because even though that's not what Varadha wants ,that's what Varadha needs

Deva living in complete anonymity in Bumfuck nowhere. Completely vanishing off the radar and living...no ...merely existing in the shadow of Varadha's memories ....

Deva refusing himself even the littlest of joys because pain is what connects him to Varadha ...

I could go on...but you get the point.. If this is what part 1 brings... I'm scared to even contemplate part 2...

[rorapostsbl]

okay. so i got done watching SALAAR after months of it being on my watchlist. didn't understand shruti hassan's role, i HOPE she doesn't come as a love interest in the part 2.

the way they ended it with a plot twist was good-good like oOoOoOh what will varadeva do now? it's pretty obvious that deva wouldn't go against his varadha, not even when it's his own rightful claim on that raja ki gaddi.

and even if there is some slow burn angst misunderstanding shit that does happen, we all know that they are will burn the world before ANYONE dares lay hand on their cutie pookie killing machine.

that scene where varadha says that now he wants everything he sets his eyes on? and then deva walks ahead and varadha looks at him oOoOoOh.

you want him bad don't you now?

anyways. excited for part 2, i HOPE that there is more "simping for your bestfriend and being obsessively possessive and making sure nobody getting to touch his beautiful skin" between varadeva.

[tansu-bomb]

Deva (Prabhas) & Varadha (Prithviraj) should totally get married in Salaar Part 2 and Aadhya (Shruti Haasan) would gladly officiate their wedding.

[sometimesbrave]

Varadha: As soon as Deva breaks the seal law🤫, the wedding is BACK ON😘!!!!

After Deva, Aadhya and Bilaal are put in Khansaar prison

Varadha: You know I always wanted a traditional wedding🥺, but my fiance had to be banished seven years ago🙄. Then recently, he broke the seal law (that he only put in place😑), I needed to imprison him🙃. We never seem to find the right time🥲. So, that's why...

cut to Deva inside a prison cell while Varadha stands outside

Varadha continuing: that's why, we are getting married here🥹...that's Aadhya✨, Deva's bridesmaid and Bilaal, who is just unconscious👀

(x: Real scene from Salaar part 2 - Varadeva marriage scene )

[alezangona]

The Shadow of Khansar (Salaar Fic)

Part 1 - Man of the Hour

Part 2

Varadha’s gaze sweeps across the room, weariness settling in as he takes in the euphoric crowd surrounding him. The throbbing music, animated cheers, and unbridled laughter provide a stark contrast from the usual silence that encompasses Pathran most nights.

“Bored already?” Bilal asks, taking a seat next to him, drink in hand. Varadha chuckles quietly as he reaches out to grab the bottle before taking a quick swig.

“The things I do for my brother. Sometimes I wonder what goes through his head when he asks for things like this.” Varadha waves his hand vaguely at the scene in front of him, handing the drink back to Bilal.

“In this case? Probably the same thing that’s been running through all of our heads. After all these years, we might finally have a chance.” Both their gazes move immediately at the remark, going to rest on the tall frame of the man responsible for the celebrations at hand.

Deva stands out on the balcony, hands tucked into his pockets as he leans awkwardly away from the man talking to him. For a moment, he looks nothing like the hunter feared by Khansar and its royals. Instead, he seems like the lost little boy he met for the first time at his Grandfather’s house during a State Dinner.

He remembers how hesitant Deva was when he first approached him in that room full of political leaders, not knowing what to do with his body as he shuffled in place. That among all else might’ve been what caused Varadha to feel at ease around him in a way he’d never experienced before in anyone’s presence. His entire childhood up until that point consisted of being shunned by his step siblings despite his best efforts to belong. Deva, however, possessed none of the harsh body language that belonged to his own family. His back didn’t immediately straighten, his eyes didn’t narrow, and his mouth didn’t turn in disgust. Instead, he haunched in on himself, eyes sparkling with curiosity, a slight quirk to his lips as he watched Varadha advance towards him.

While Varadha took the first steps in establishing a new friendship that day, Deva listened on with intent, all his attention focused devoutly on the small boy who couldn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of such kindness. From that moment, Deva embedded himself deep into the core of Varadha’s world, so much so that in his absence, Varadha would feel as if the earth was shattering. Then Deva would come back, following Varadha as a shadow throughout the kingdom of Khansar, and suddenly he would be whole again. Complete.

If there’s anything he’s thankful for, it’s the presence of that boy who followed him blindly through his childhood to this very moment, where the tides of time were changing, and a new history was being written.

“There’s something about him,” Varadha murmurs in awe, taking in the unruly hair and charcoal eyes of his closest friend. 

“Yeah there is,” Bilal chuckles in amusement, settling back in his chair as he takes a long sip. “No wonder why Mahit is trying to stake claim, not that he’s the only one trying of course, but he seems to be the only one persuasive enough to succeed.”

“What?” Varadha jolts slightly in confusion, his brows coming together as he looks to Bilal.

“You can’t tell me you’re surprised?” Bilal arches a brow incredulously. “Your friend, Dora, is the man of the hour. Powerful and handsome? He doesn’t stand a chance against this crowd, definitely not against Mahit.”

Varadha stills, a heaviness settling deep within him as he moves his gaze back to where Deva stands, unable to comprehend how he didn’t notice before. Mahit stands close to Deva, thick hair flowing freely in the breeze as he rests his body against the railing and trails a hand playfully across Deva’s bicep. His dark blue kurta is taught against his torso, emphasizing the strong muscles he’s developed over the years working in Khansar’s military. His hazel eyes sparkle in delight as he trails them shamelessly across Deva’s features, a bright smile on his lips as he converses with the ease of a man who is used to getting what he wants.

Varadha doesn’t know when it happens, but suddenly he finds himself covering the distance between him and the two men, long legs carrying him towards the balcony.

“Rey, Deva.” At the sound of his voice, Deva stands taller, eyes snapping up in attention. Varadha strides closer to him, stopping only when they stand shoulder to shoulder. “What are you doing out in this cold anyway? Come inside, everyone’s waiting for you.”

“Spending time with me I should think,” Mahit drawls as if obliging the whims of an unwelcome distraction. “As for the cold, well there’s certainly better ways to warm up than heading back into that party. Don’t you think Deva?”

“I don’t…” Deva trails, his gravelly voice breaking the moment of tense silence that surrounded them for a second. His dark gaze flickers to meet Varadha’s, reluctant and unsure, searching for a way out. The epiphany comes at him like a breath of fresh air, and suddenly, all of the restlessness and unease in Varadha’s body drains away.

Deva is not interested in Mahit.

“Leave him alone Mahit. He’s not interested.” Varadha mutters, his hand wrapping around Deva’s arm, ready to pull him away.

“You never cease to surprise me Dora. You’ve shared so much with me over the years, secrets and lovers both– yet this is where you draw the line?” Mahit questions, an amused lit to his tone. Deva halts at the revelation, his body a glacier, pulling Varadha back from his retreat.

“What? You two-?” Deva’s eyes bore into Varadha’s, lips pressed into a straight line as his brow furrows.

“It was a long time ago,” Varadha finds himself saying. Not that he’s sure why he sounds so defensive all of a sudden.

“Not that long ago from what I recall,” Mahit replies dryly and Varadha shifts awkwardly in place, catching the flash of hurt behind the cool facade. “Anyway, it seems like my night is a bust. Might as well let you two have some fun in my stead.” Mahit walks back towards the door, shoulder jutting against Varadha’s. “Take care Dora. I look forward to seeing you next.”

The two men watch as he disappears into the crowd, an uncomfortable silence settling into the space between them.

“So you and him are…?” Deva breathes.

“Something.”

“But he still tried to make a move on–”

“You. Yep.” Deva chuckles quietly, looking at his feet and tucking his hands back into his pockets.

“I missed a lot these past couple of years, didn’t I?” Varadha couldn’t help but to laugh at that, feeling at ease once more as he turns to look at his friend, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah you did. But, if we go home right now, maybe we can get plastered and catch up on everything we’ve missed.”

Deva’s eyes twinkle and soften when they move back to Varadha. “I think I’d like that, spending time with you after all these years. And getting away from this party would be a blessing! I have no idea why Baachi was so insistent on us coming if he was just going to hole away in a corner with his girlfriend.”

Varadha rolls his eyes at that, shaking his head slightly as he follows Deva through the crowd and away from the party. “If I had any clue as to why he did anything he does, I’d probably be a lot less anxious in my daily life.”

“I’m back now, so not for nothing, but you have someone to share your grievances with.” Though Varadha hears the playful undertone to the magnanimous statement, he feels a sense of relief overtake him.

He’s spent so many years alone, breaking his back to protect his family while trying to find ways to safeguard the small world he’s created for himself. He’s learned to let go of his dreams, to focus on being small and taking what he is given. Doing what he has to for survival and nothing more. But now, with Deva back, the hope that he never realized left him, is back in full force. For the first time in his life, Varadha feels as if he can go beyond survival. That he could choose to live.

No matter how the rest of the journey pans out– whether they win this war or not, Varadha knows that all he needs is Deva at his side and together, they can accomplish anything. Him and his Salaar.

~*~

Just a little fic I’ve written up since I want to contribute to the fandom. I’ve definitely never written anything before so all of this is a huge work in progress. But it’s been a lot of fun and I can’t wait to keep doing it cuz this ship is kinda awesome.

~*~

[lillieslotus]

the camera panning to the rest of the gang absolutely sick and tired of deva pulling his gay antics is KILLING me 😭😭 ik bacchi wants to send them to therapy for his own sake

[rambheem-is-real]

putting it on here too, devas an older brother yall

[mellaga-karagani]

Masterlist

Requests are open!!!

Current works:

(Ignore how unorganised these are, idk how to sort them, should I sort them by actor or movie idk please leave any suggestions if you have any 😭😭)

Promts / Dialogue sets:

Bhallaladeva 《 Bahubali》

Amarendra Baahubali 《 Bahubali 》

Devasena 《 Bahubali 》

Alluri Seetha Ramaraju 《 RRR 》

Komaram Bheem 《 RRR 》

Arjun Reddy 《 Arjun Reddy 》

Deva 《 Devadas 》

Bhairava 《 Magadheera 》

Aarya 《 Aarya》

Aarya 《 Aarya 2 》

Bantu 《 Ala Vaikunthapuramuloo 》

Rana Naidu 《 Rana Naidu 》

Siddha 《 Acharya 》

Shyam Singha Roy 《 Shyam Singha Roy 》

Nandu 《 Athadu 》

Chandu 《 Ready 》

Pandu 《 Pokiri 》

Shiva 《 Kantara 》

Oneshots:

Nandu / Pardhu 《 Athadu 》

❝I'm scared of the things I would do for you, but I also hate the idea of anyone else having you.❞

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆

Work in progress:

Deva 《 Salaar 》 (Requested by @d-genie)

Nani 《 Eega 》 (Requested by @toomanyfanficsbruh)

Nani 《 Nani's Gang Leaded》 (Requested by @toomanyfanficsbruh)

Peddodu (Vijay) 《SVSC》 (Requested by @toomanyfanficsbruh)

Chinnodu (Ajay) 《SVSC》 (Requeated by @toomanyfanficsbruh)

Hanumanthu 《HanuMan》 (Requested by @bhalare-vichitram)

Jai 《 Mirchi 》 (Requested by @futuristicclampatrolkid)

Danny Shekar 《 Bheemla Naayak 》 (Requested by @toomanyfanficsbruh)

Gana 《 Sarrainodu 》 (Requested by @mahi-wayy )

Rama Raju 《 RRR 》 (Requested by @voidsteffy )

"What if you and I were meant to part ways, only so we could find each other again?"

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆

Taglist!!:

@allari-ammayi , @vellipo-mellaga , @vijayasena , @lite-teesko , @toomanyfanficsbruh , @voidsteffy , @mahi-wayy (Please reply if you wish to be tagged in future relases!!<33)

[celestesinsight]

Happy Ending Headcanon for Salaar Part 2 : Varadeva go away with Amma to live their life peacefully and leave the throne and Khanshar for Radha Rama to deal with. Aadhya could stay with Radha Rama, or go back to the US or do whatever she wants.

[neengareadynaaready]

Salaar Part 1 (FULL SPOILER-Y REVIEW)

I finally saw Salaar on Netflix, and as promised, I am going insane over the guys Varadeva.

MUSIC

Music is by Ravi Basrur, same guy who did the scoring of KGF. Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved the songs of KGF. They were high-energy songs perfect for getting yourself hyped up for something. I went into watching Salaar expecting the same thing, but I was proven wrong.

The songs in Salaar are actually more varied. The children in the school singing, "Prathi Gaadhalo" gave me goosebumps. I applaud the fact that Ravi Basrur has such range and versatility in the music he composes and arranges but you can still see his signature in his creations.

KGF & SALAAR?

Speaking of signatures... The visuals are beautiful. Obviously, Prashanth Neel's style is coming through in KGF and now Salaar. Also, there was something in the way the story is told to Shruti Haasan's character, just like how Rocky's story is narrated in KGF.

90% (or more) of mass action films have a flashback portion where the hero's backstory is revealed. In most cases, it's to clarify the hero's motivation or to show us his heroism/what he suffered/his traumas, etc.

In Salaar and KGF, the flashbacks are the entire story. In KGF, it's through an interview for things that happened in the past. In Salaar, the present and the past are more connected. It reminded me of Baahubali Part 1 where the present-day events make up the first half before we then dive into the entire backstory of Amarendra Baahubali. Mahendra's/Shiva's story in the present only really starts in the 2nd movie.

So this is where my ramblings lead to: we all know SS Rajamouli is thinking on a bigger scale. He's thinking epics. With KGF and Salaar, it feels like Prashanth Neel is gearing up for that, too. A lot of the people who dismissed KGF said it was because it was style over substance, which I'm fine with, to be honest, because what PN was trying to do in that movie was obvious, from the storyline to the music especially. He was trying to create a legend, the Legend of Rocky Bhai. Even if the story is not that unique and/or cringe, the fact is Rocky Bhai will now go down in history as one of the most unforgettable mass action characters of Indian cinema.

Here, in Salaar, we get a new world. It is in Khansaar where our epic unfolds.... (At least that was the vibe I was getting while watching.) I mean, Prithviraj said Salaar had Game of Thrones vibes. I'm a sucker for court politics in an interesting new world, so I was hooked. Also, that revelation of Deva being the rightful heir to the throne? C'mon, it's obvious, but it's a classic for a reason. It's such good angst and how Varadha and Deva navigate this revelation when it's revealed to everyone in Part 2 is gonna be amazing.

VARADHA and DEVA

In general, I think most of the characters are very interesting. Not gonna lie, I lost track of some of them midway through the movie. I was consumed by Varadeva every time they were both on screen.

Look, I kinda wished Ranga was still alive so there's that one character that has it out for Varadha and Deva would have to come to his rescue again in Part 2. Anyway, he was an interesting character because he spiraled so fast, and he was always clinging to Rudra's arm and going "I have never asked you for anything since childhood. I want Varadha." and then he was bawling his eyes out, like what a certifiably insane character.

Prabhas and Prithviraj's interactions were really very interesting and fun. I wish we had more. They bantered while fighting, and you can feel they're the type to make fun of each other and have fun. But you can also see how much they truly care for each other that time when Naarang was wielding his sword. They're like, "No, kill me, spare him." DUUUUUUDE. I loved that.

And when Varadha made up his mind, Deva was ready to support him. Who knows what's gonna happen in Part 2.

Action is okay. Was very nice to see them fight side by side.

OVERALL

The cast of characters, the story, the premise, the subplots going around... I'm excited for Part 2!