Plot
An elderly woman emerges from a cave underneath a mountain, carrying an infant. While trying to cross a raging river, she is swept away by the current. She holds the baby above the water, praying to Lord Shiva to save him for Mahishmati's future. The child is saved by the Amburi tribe, and their chieftain's wife Sanga adopts him, naming him Sivudu.
Sivudu grows up ambitious and curious, obsessed with climbing the mountain despite his mother's pleas, but fails each time. As a young man, he shows great strength while moving a lingam of Lord Shiva to the foot of the mountain. A mask falls from above. Learning the mask belongs to a woman, Sivudu decides to find her and climbs the mountain successfully. Upon reaching the top, he meets Avanthika, the mask's owner, and follows her. He learns she belongs to a resistance group working to overthrow Mahishmati's tyrannical king, Bhallaladeva, and free the imprisoned princess Devasena.
Sivudu, taken with Avanthika, joins her cause and infiltrates Mahishmati's palace as a guard. He distracts Bhallaladeva and rescues Devasena. Bhallaladeva sends his son Bhadrudu and his general Kattappa to pursue Sivudu. In the fight, Sivudu kills Bhadrudu as the Amburi and resistance members join him. Kattappa, seeing Sivudu's face, submits and calls him "Baahubali". Kattappa reveals that Sivudu is Mahendra Baahubali, son of Amarendra Baahubali, a noted warrior prince of Mahishmati, and that Queen Sivagami, his grandmother, saved him.
Amarendra Baahubali was the orphan son of Maharaja Veerendra Vikramadeva. After the king's death, Sivagami, wife of Bijjaladeva, was appointed Regent and raised Amarendra alongside her son Bhallaladeva to choose the next king. Both showed strong potential, but Bhallaladeva shared his father's ambition, while Amarendra earned the people's loyalty. When the Kalakeya tribe, led by Inkoshi, threatened Mahishmati, Sivagami ruled that the victor would be king but demanded Inkoshi's capture alive after an insult. Amarendra used clever tactics to subdue Inkoshi and spare civilians, but Bhallaladeva killed him with his mace along with villagers caught in the battle. Consequently, Sivagami chose Amarendra as heir apparent for his leadership, appointing Bhallaladeva as his commander.
Sivudu and his adoptive parents hear this account from Kattappa. A remorseful Kattappa admits he betrayed and killed Amarendra. He continues Amarendra's tale. After defeating the Kalakeyas, Amarendra is named heir apparent with Bhallaladeva as commander. Sivagami sends Amarendra on a disguised tour of the kingdom with Kattappa to know the problems of the citizens and know about people of nearby kingdoms. In Kuntala, Amarendra sees Princess Devasena repelling Pindari attackers and admires her. Disguised, he enters Kuntala's palace as a guard.
Bhallaladeva sees Devasena's portrait, and Sivagami promises their marriage, sending an emissary to Kuntala. Devasena rejects the proposal, and Bijjaladeva tricks Sivagami into ordering Amarendra to capture her. In Kuntala, Amarendra and Kattappa defend the palace from a Pindari attack with Devasena and her cousin Kumara Varma. Kattappa reveals Amarendra as Mahishmati's future king, and Amarendra proposes to Devasena, who accepts. When the misunderstanding is cleared, Sivagami forces Amarendra to choose between the crown and Devasena. He chooses Devasena. Bhallaladeva is crowned king, with Amarendra as commander, though Amarendra remains popular.
When Devasena is pregnant, Bhallaladeva replaces Amarendra with Sethupathi, a court official. Devasena publicly opposes this and urges Amarendra to take the throne. Amarendra and Devasena are banished after Amarendra kills Sethupathi for insulting her. Fearing Amarendra's popularity, Bhallaladeva and Bijjaladeva scheme to turn Sivagami against him. Bijjaladeva convinces Kumara Varma that Devasena and her child are in danger, leading Kumara Varma to attempt Bhallaladeva's assassination.
Sivagami, believing Amarendra sent the assassin, orders Kattappa to kill him. Kattappa lures Amarendra to a secluded place and kills him. Bhallaladeva reveals himself as the plot's mastermind, and Kattappa informs Sivagami, who regrets her decision. As Devasena arrives with her newborn, Mahendra, Sivagami names him king. Bhallaladeva turns the guards against her, forcing her to flee with Mahendra. Bhallaladeva rules as a tyrant for twenty-five years, imprisoning Devasena, who builds a funeral pyre for him.
When Kattappa finishes the tale, Sivudu (Mahendra Baahubali) declares war on Bhallaladeva, uniting the Amburi, resistance and Mahishmati's slave army under Kattappa. The army besieges Mahishmati, while Mahendra and Kattappa breach the city walls. He fights Bhallaladeva and chains him to Devasena's pyre. Devasena burns Bhallaladeva alive, ending his reign. Mahendra is crowned king of Mahishmati with Avanthika as his queen and commits to peace and justice.
