#BajiraoMastani : With arguably
the longest disclaimer in the history of hindi cinema , Sanjay Leela Bhansali
makes it pretty clear at the beginning that his magnum opus is not a factual
representation of the life of 18th century Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao
Balaji Bhat (1700-1740) , rather it is
based on N.S. Inamder’s celebrated novel “Rau”. From there on, brace yourself for everything
that is typical of Bhansali, the grandeur, the scale, the set, the melodrama,
the music, the colour, the canvas, the costume, the self indulgence, the drama
and of course the dance.
And amidst all these opulence, it
is the story that suffers. Subtlety has never been Bhansali’s forte, but trying
to recreate “Devdas” while telling the love story of legendary warrior who has
remained unconquered in forty one battles is a faux pas, too difficult to be
ignored. So “ Pinga ga pori ” is forced
into the narrative to bring the effect of “ Dola re”. While the later had a
context in the narrative, the former in fact reduces the conflict and affects
the narrative. Wait there is more “Babuji ne kaha Gaon Chod do , Sab ne Kaha
Paro ko Chod do” moment. Only the Babuji is replaced by Aai here. Thankfully
Tanvi Azmi’s character as Radhabai , Bajirao’s mother, has been fleshed out and
she gives a powerhouse performance as a matriarch .
However in spite of its inherent
flaws, Bajirao Mastani is a breathtaking visual tapestry. The fountains, the chandeliers, the glass
palace, the costume creates magic.
Sudeep Chatarjee’s cinematography is poetic and deserves a standing
ovation. Music and background score transports you into a world of its own.
Ranvir Singh is pure class. He makes the character of Peshwa his own, even
picks up the Marathi accent and gives a delightfully power packed performance,
probably his best till date. Priyanka who gets to play a character that goes
through different emotions is scintillating. She gives an outstanding
performance every time she is in frame and even outshines Deepika in scenes
where they are together. Deepika has a
sizzling entry. Yet for an actor who has been in a zone for quite some time now
playing each character with aplomb, she gives a slightly inconsistent
performance. At almost 2 hours 40 minutes and with a very long melodramatic
climax, the editing pulls down the pace and exhausts a bit.
Alright then, in a world where
Visual Opulence can be renamed “Bhansali”, Bhansali has a new syndrome called “
Devdas” and where history starts with “
Disclaimer” I will go out with 2.5 out of 5 for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Labour
of Love “ Bajirao Mastani” . Go indulge yourself, the “Experience” may not be
authentic yet it’s worth savoring!
