Movie Review: Bajirao Mastani
Title: Bajirao Mastani
Reviewed By: SoundaryaLahari Murari
Rating: 7.5
Genre: Historical Romance
Language: Hindi
Running Time: 2 hours 38 minutes
Release Date: 18th December 2015
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Producers: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Kishore Lulla
Production Company: Bhansali Productions
Author details: SoundaryaLahari Murari Grade 8B
I love India, reading books, spending time with my friends, watching anime, singing, listening to old Telugu songs, playing the piano, swimming, helping others, and keeping everybody around me happy. My favourite subject is Math. Manthan is pretty much home for me.
My expectations were quite high as I entered the theatre but alas, I was a little disappointed. The movie was slightly dreary and was too serious, with the only light hearted part being Kashibai’s (Priyanka Chopra’s) part. The plot did drag at some places, but was made up for by the realistic war scenes.
The story revolves mainly around Bajirao (Ranveer Singh), Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra), and Mastani (Deepika Padukone). Kashibai is the devoted first wife of
Peshwa Bajirao and is loved very much by the entire family including her mother - in - law, Radhabai (Tanvi Azmi) and her husband. Upon a cry for help from Bundelkhand in a war against Mughals, Bajirao rushes to assist them after being persuaded to do so by Mastani, the warrior princess of Bundelkhand. After a gruesome but well choreographed war scene, Bajirao stays at Bundelkhand to celebrate his victory and eventually gets married to Mastani according to the Bundelkhand tradition. The rest of the story travels along the lines of everybody’s hatred towards Mastani, as she is the daughter of a muslim mother.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali seems to have an obsession with the idea of lovers dying together. This movie resembled his Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela very much, the only difference being that in Ramleela, the clash is between two clans while in Bajirao Mastani, it is between religion. Also, just like Ramleela, the rich dresses and splendour of the palaces, the pure, raw emotion, and the weight of words unsaid, provided a breathtaking visual impact and feel. I would like to commend the effort he has put into portraying the strategical genius Peshwa Bajirao was in the war scenes.
Ranveer Singh really justified his role as the terrifying Peshwa bajirao, carrying the fierce regal demeanor required for the role. He commands attention from the audience with his stellar performance. Ranveer has developed a lot as an actor from Band Baaja Bhaarat to this movie. Deepika Padukone gave off the proud, distant, calculative aura that any warrior princess would be expected to have and almost looked ethereal. Kashibai or Priyanka Chopra was my personal favorite, being the sweet, innocent, but ignored wife of Peshwa Bajirao. She added the much needed liveliness to the storyline, and was the only character who seemed like she wasn’t hiding something. Her jealousy and quiet acceptance of Mastani was excellently portrayed by Priyanka Chopra. Her soft femininity in the movie came as a major contrast to the tomboyish role she played in Mary Kom.
I was really touched by how despite the disregard shown towards Kashibai by the one she loved, she still continued to give all her devotion, compassion, support, and love to Bajirao to keep him happy. Without her support, I doubt Peshwa Bajirao would have been a name seen in our History textbooks today. But the scene where Mastani is nearly assassinated and Kashibai hesitates to inform Bajirao of the imminent danger to his beloved Mastani’s life until the last moment, really explains how even the best people can crack under pressure and no appreciation.
The makeup that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has done on both breathtaking beauties really compliments the character that they play. The raw beauty of Kashibai and the royal look of Mastani have been shown clearly. The tone of the songs in the movie vary from deep and slow, to peppy and fast. The song ‘Pinga’ will most certainly be a hit, as both actresses dance together.
Although the majority of people say that the movie was not taken perfectly according to history and this may be true, you will get a good sense of the feel, culture, the way life was lived during those days, the discrimination between religion, and most of all, the qualities and character of these three historical idols. I would say that it is definitely worth a watch.