Bajirao - A great potential; squandered.
The latest offering by Mr.Bhansali promises a lot and I had high expectations going into the theatre. In recent years, I admit I haven't seen much of the works by the veteran director but memories of his last epic were still fresh in my mind. 'Black' was as much a piece of art and storytelling as it was a yardstick, for me to judge the Indian cinema.
I was thrilled about the premise, the actors and the man behind the lens hoping that the promise it showed will be given full justice. For the uninitiated, this is the story of perhaps the greatest man we Indians don't know much about and his second wife. A true mirror of the troubled and sometimes widely polarising history that this nation has suffered under various regimes and empires and with all this talk and nonsense about how intolerant we are becoming, it is a testament to the fact that true love can transcend boundaries.
In the main roles we have Ranveer Singh, a man who is slowly but surely creating a niche for himself with superb roles that suit his somewhat mercurial and ephemeral nature and his mischievous persona which may or may not have been creatively constructed. He plays Peshwa Bajirao - I, the man, the myth and the forgotten legend. To tell you how badass this man was, here are some cold facts. He became the Peshwa (Prime Minister) to Chhatrapati Shahuji Bhonsle of the Maratha Confederacy at the age of 19 and till his death from an unfortunate heat stroke at the age of 40, this man was undefeated. In an era filled with war both petty and massive, he was known as 'Rann Mard' or 'Man of the Battlefield'. He remained undefeated till his death, spearheading 41 battles, 41! and the Maratha Confederacy grew an alarming 945% with him at its helm. He is considered the greatest of the nine Peshwas and rightly so because his record in battle has never been equaled ever after. The great General Montgomery who was instrumental in establishing English firmly in India, described him as a man who would incite fear in the enemy even when they knew they held the advantage, such was his prowess and charisma. And to a point Ranveer does justice to the lionheart.
His rendition is playful and moving at the same time. He portrays a man with such raw intensity that even when he stares at the audience through the screen, you flinch a bit from his virulent stare. But, Bhansali to my dismay squanders such a beautiful portrayal by sticking to his trusted tragedy and love plot. At points, the film feels much like Devdas but on a grander scale and with more expressive actors and a central character who isn't a drunk wimp but the underlying formula is the same. A dragged out, insipid narrative of tragedy and starstruck lovers. He also creates an aura around the Peshwa making a caricature out of him. Bajirao can do everything, and not only at a regular layman level but at an expert level. He's the surgeon, the midwife, the negotiator, the general and the superman rolled in one and it is my only qualm out of the brilliant rendition of the character.
This also sets up the next character which is affected even more by the director's dilemma. Mastani Bai, the princess of Bundelkhand is the love of Peshwa's short life but is she fierce warrior, a superb courtesan, a mesmerizing dancer or a risk taking braveheart, the director is confused. Which means that even though Deepika Padukone has ample screen time she fails to deliver a solid impact on the viewer. I feel for the character a bit as the story progresses but I am still not immersed in it like I am with the Peshwa. The romance and drama are played up a lot more than what could have been a war tale with a love story thrown in.
But, all is not lost because we have a gem hidden in the rough. Despite much smaller screen time, Priyanka Chopra delivers the knockout as Kashibai, the Peshwa's first wife. Her love for the Peshwa is not returned equally but her devotion is so strong, that throughout the film you feel sympathy for her rather than the main heroine in question. As the main lady of the house, she starts as a young klutz enamored by the love of her life and slowly grows into a resolute and tough badass which conveys her sorrow through her silence. As the film rolls on, her performance only grows more enderaring and moving and by the time, the main climax hits I am sitting there feeling bad for her character rather than the two star crossed lovers.
In closing, I would like to say that by all means go and watch the film, its a good entertainer but if you are a history nut like me, prepare yourself for a bit of disappointment. This is not Bhansali's greatest but still much better than the regular Friday night crap out there.
3/5 stars.
The latest offering by Mr.Bhansali promises a lot and I had high expectations going into the theatre. In recent years, I admit I haven't seen much of the works by the veteran director but memories of his last epic were still fresh in my mind. 'Black' was as much a piece of art and storytelling as it was a yardstick, for me to judge the Indian cinema.
I was thrilled about the premise, the actors and the man behind the lens hoping that the promise it showed will be given full justice. For the uninitiated, this is the story of perhaps the greatest man we Indians don't know much about and his second wife. A true mirror of the troubled and sometimes widely polarising history that this nation has suffered under various regimes and empires and with all this talk and nonsense about how intolerant we are becoming, it is a testament to the fact that true love can transcend boundaries.
In the main roles we have Ranveer Singh, a man who is slowly but surely creating a niche for himself with superb roles that suit his somewhat mercurial and ephemeral nature and his mischievous persona which may or may not have been creatively constructed. He plays Peshwa Bajirao - I, the man, the myth and the forgotten legend. To tell you how badass this man was, here are some cold facts. He became the Peshwa (Prime Minister) to Chhatrapati Shahuji Bhonsle of the Maratha Confederacy at the age of 19 and till his death from an unfortunate heat stroke at the age of 40, this man was undefeated. In an era filled with war both petty and massive, he was known as 'Rann Mard' or 'Man of the Battlefield'. He remained undefeated till his death, spearheading 41 battles, 41! and the Maratha Confederacy grew an alarming 945% with him at its helm. He is considered the greatest of the nine Peshwas and rightly so because his record in battle has never been equaled ever after. The great General Montgomery who was instrumental in establishing English firmly in India, described him as a man who would incite fear in the enemy even when they knew they held the advantage, such was his prowess and charisma. And to a point Ranveer does justice to the lionheart.
His rendition is playful and moving at the same time. He portrays a man with such raw intensity that even when he stares at the audience through the screen, you flinch a bit from his virulent stare. But, Bhansali to my dismay squanders such a beautiful portrayal by sticking to his trusted tragedy and love plot. At points, the film feels much like Devdas but on a grander scale and with more expressive actors and a central character who isn't a drunk wimp but the underlying formula is the same. A dragged out, insipid narrative of tragedy and starstruck lovers. He also creates an aura around the Peshwa making a caricature out of him. Bajirao can do everything, and not only at a regular layman level but at an expert level. He's the surgeon, the midwife, the negotiator, the general and the superman rolled in one and it is my only qualm out of the brilliant rendition of the character.
This also sets up the next character which is affected even more by the director's dilemma. Mastani Bai, the princess of Bundelkhand is the love of Peshwa's short life but is she fierce warrior, a superb courtesan, a mesmerizing dancer or a risk taking braveheart, the director is confused. Which means that even though Deepika Padukone has ample screen time she fails to deliver a solid impact on the viewer. I feel for the character a bit as the story progresses but I am still not immersed in it like I am with the Peshwa. The romance and drama are played up a lot more than what could have been a war tale with a love story thrown in.
But, all is not lost because we have a gem hidden in the rough. Despite much smaller screen time, Priyanka Chopra delivers the knockout as Kashibai, the Peshwa's first wife. Her love for the Peshwa is not returned equally but her devotion is so strong, that throughout the film you feel sympathy for her rather than the main heroine in question. As the main lady of the house, she starts as a young klutz enamored by the love of her life and slowly grows into a resolute and tough badass which conveys her sorrow through her silence. As the film rolls on, her performance only grows more enderaring and moving and by the time, the main climax hits I am sitting there feeling bad for her character rather than the two star crossed lovers.
In closing, I would like to say that by all means go and watch the film, its a good entertainer but if you are a history nut like me, prepare yourself for a bit of disappointment. This is not Bhansali's greatest but still much better than the regular Friday night crap out there.
3/5 stars.
