Movie: Bajirao Mastani

Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Mahesh Manjrekar

Music: Sanchit Balhara

Cinematographer: Sudeep Chatterjee

Editor: Rajesh G Pandey

Genre: Drama, Romance, History

Rating: ∗∗∗∗

What is it about: This film narrates the tale of the Maratha warrior “Peshwa Bajirao” played by Ranveer Singh and his second wife “Mastani” played by Deepika Padukone. The movie throws light on their romance which forms the crux of the story directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which also stars Priyanka Chopra, Tanvi Azmi, Vaibbhav Tatwawdi, Milind Soman & Mahesh Manjrekar.

Why it’s disappointing: Let this one be at rest for “Bajirao Mastani”.

What to watch out for: Earlier this year the entire nation was raving about a fantasy epic venture called “Bahubali”, which was a grand success and a lovely movie. But what makes this stand out is the treatment, which was well made by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The movie being a biopic which involves portraying the real-life characters of those times is a task, which always goes wrong in many cases, but with BM it was well placed with few changes for cinematic representation.

The highlight of the movie is the narration and storytelling which keeps you glued to it, regardless of its long runtime. The travel makes you forget the time you’re in, it draws you towards its beauty, which is addictively mesmerizing. SLB made sure of one thing, which is to make the audience believe what he has to show in his story.

The movie had terrific central cast which competed with each other in performance making it a great treat to the audience.

Ranveer Singh as Peshwa Bajirao, did bring a great deal of attitude to the character making it a commendable one, he was outstanding. The transformation of the character is so smooth that you don’t feel it. Ranveer becomes the pivotal point of the movie which demands applause with his heroic entry in to the “Durbar”. He excels in every part of the movie, especially during the climax which proves that he’s one of those actors, who when pushed can go to any limits in delivering what’s required of that character.

Priyanka Chopra as Kashibai (1st wife of Bajirao), this character might have lesser screen space compared to others, but it becomes one of the most sought after due to its importance in the story. Priyanka gives you the raw deal of performance with subtle touch to it, which seems like a calm one. But no one can realize the rage behind it. She carried the role with great élan which made the character “Kashibai” the respectable one.

Deepika Padukone as Mastani (2nd wife of Bajirao), believe me she excels in every scene right from the start, she doesn’t have to warm up to it. It will instantly capture your attention with her stylish entry in the film. She has done a great job on learning the nuances of handling a sword. You must have seen her sway her pretty hip all this while, but see her sway that sword in Bajirao Mastani, which will stun you. She emoted every mood of the character with great dedication, making it a convincing one with exuberant beauty, which leaves you gasping when she gets down to dance in those elegant attires. A beauty to die for, a warrior to remember….Mastani.

Apart from the central characters there were 3 actors in the film who did a great job Tanvi Azmi as Radhabai (Bajirao’s mother), her character required a mature actor and she did that role with great dedication making it applaud worthy. Then it was Milind Soman, who was seen in a good role and saved his image from the disastrous ad of Old Spice. This was followed by Vaibbhav Tatwawdi as Chimaji Appa (Bajirao’s younger brother) who did a commendable job.

Another thing which made this historical biopic interesting is its dialogues, which were as sharp as the swords used in the movie. It kindles the religious matters with caution scripted with well written dialogues to which your hand will automatically applaud. The references used for two religions featured in the movie were beautifully handled without hurting the sentiments. Thanks to Prakash R.Kapadia for penning them with a well woven screenplay.

The movie was grand with its look, the sets erected were lavish with beautiful locations. The cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee was splendid with vivid visualization of the director’s vision, which was well supported by Rajesh Pandey’s sharp editing which kept the pace tight. The sound design by Bishwadeep Chatterjee was ground breaking with amazing clarity which made the visuals come alive with great sound. The VFX in the movie was right on spot with no added masala, giving it a decent realistic feel.

Bajirao Mastani has beautiful ensembles designed by Anju Modi and Maxima Basu, who made Deepika and Priyanka look fabulous. They didn’t stop there, the entire cast had a great style of its time.

The movie had great music by Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself, who composed tunes which will play in your mind for a long time. All of them were well placed and choreographed to great detail, which made them visually arresting. This was well matched by great background score by Sanchit Balhara.

Verdict: It took more than 5 decades for someone to make an epic, which we could say can match the integrity of “Mughal-E-Azam”. Sanjay Leela Bhansali made a movie which will go on shelves as an epic to remember for ages. It had riveting performances by Ranveer, Priyanka & Deepika leaving you asking for more. Definitely worth a watch for its lavish treatment, catch this delectable spectacle on a silver screen to experience its magic.