Right upto the release of his highly anticipated period drama, certain fundamentalist organisations committed various acts of violence, threatening the makers and demanding a ban on the movie based on MERE assumptions that this film insults their community/people. Ironically, Padmaavat is an ode to the bravery of the Rajputs, in an irritating way which makes you question its authenticity.
So dear protesters, if you’d sit back on your seats and relax... allowing us to discuss cinema? Please?
Padmavati / Padmaavat
Genre :- Period Drama
Run-time :- 2 hrs 43 minutes
Cast :- Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor.
Director :- Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Plot – Based on Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s poem Padmaavat, The film tells the story of Rani Padmavati, second wife of Ratan Sen, king of Mewar, who immolated herself to save her honour from Alauddin Khilji.
Direction and Screenplay :-
Coming from a director who is known to satiate the insatiable appetite of an audience who relish a dish filled with high octane period action, emotions, drama, garnished with aesthetically beautiful frames and setting... Padmaavat/Padmavati doesn't disappoint.
From the word go, SLB creates a world so dreamy, layering it with the majestic grandeur and simplicity of the Rajputs and Singhals.
Bhansali’s Padmaavat is based on the 16th century fictionalised poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. Most modern historians concur that Rani Padmavati a.k.a. Padmini is a figment of Jayasi’s imagination although Alauddin Khilji and Ratan Singh a.k.a. Ratan Sen a.k.a. Ratnasimha are historical 13th-14th century figures.
Editing and Cinematography :-
At 163 mins, the movie is a little long but considering the fact that it's a period drama made to perfection with all the subtle nuances, the runtime somewhat seems justified.
Sudeep Banerjee has proved his mettle once again with his stellar cinematography. The setting of lighting is absolutely immaculate, especially the night sequences and scenes that are to be lit only using the light from Diyas.
Music :-
Ghoomar song is the inarguably the best song in this film, perfectly choreographed, flawlessly executed and a visual treat.
Ek dil hai is beautifully sung by Shivam Pathak with a soothing rhythmic structure and a combination of soft drum beats and qawwali-esque claps. Khalibali is Khilji’s dance song, basically 5 mins of Ranveer Singh showing off his exurberant energy.
Apart from the tuneful 'Binte dil,' even the music does not match up to what Bhansali’s films have delivered in the past.
But I was blown away by the sheer grandeur and the powerful background score which was archaiclly set with the dramatic moments.
The Highs -
The technical chemistry between SLB's direction and Sudeep Banerjee's cinematography is spellbinding. Give the latter one, an award already for perfectly blending illluminating and vibrant colour palettes and breathtakingly crafted frames. I could've easily watched the beautiful painting that they have created with just lights and camera angles.
Deepika Padukone is the only actor in the film who actually manages to evoke the depth of the character without making it dull or exhausting to watch – a convincing perfromance as an epitome of grace, elegance and valor throughout.
Ranveer Singh alongwith his undertaker esque eye-rolls, holds the pulse of this film which is otherwise a super attractive canvas painting with a weak story base.
Just like Bajirao Mastani, it’s not just the extravagance in Padmaavat that catches the eye, but the precision with which it’s applied. Every twirl of every sari and every arrow in every battle appears to have been guided by the hands of angels.
The action and war scenes meet the expectations and somewhere in between reminds you of the epic Thor and Hulk battle, sans the superpower of course.
The Lows -
By investing too much time to showcase the actors simply swooning at each other, the connection between the driving story and the audience gets lost somewhere in the second act of the first half.
Maharaja reminds me of present day Rajkummar Rao's Newton, righteousness incarnate, who succumbs to his USOOLS (principles), walking into the den of a lion and then blaming him by saying, “Hey you’re not supposed to eat me! I trusted you.” Really dude? *runs away and cries in a corner.*
The bland chemistry or just the lack of chemistry between Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, it is even pale in comparison with that between Jim Sarbh and Ranveer Singh or can be considered even less than the love-and-hate relationship between Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh – who don’t even share a single frame. Hisaab lagalo bhai.
Also, why in the sweet hell is the word “nayaab” repeated so many times that it loses all the UNIQUENESS? WHY?
Why the biasness with both the male leads? If Alauddin wants a woman for himself, he is portrayed as lustful, whereas Raja Ratan’s betrayal of his first queen for Padmavati is “pure love.” Alauddin gets no plate and is made to eat major meat chunks directly with his hands while Maharaja Ratan gets a Rajdhani Thali? *scoffs* Bahut na-insaafi hain. Jokes aside, Khilji’s character has been partially represented, by just portraying him as a barbaric and a maniac imperialist and not a good strategist because many Historians believe that Khilji was anything but savage.
Also, don't forget to note the sly homophobic comment where they expected us to laugh whereas I choked on the hypocrisy.
The Jauhar sequence didn’t go well with me. I mean, Bhansali does try to make a warrior queen out of Padmavati who rebelled against her enemy and even the direction and all were fine but adding a scene which glorifies self-immolation (mildly reminiscent of Ketan Mehta's Mirch Masala), in a time where movements like #MeToo breathe... and even worse, making the queen seek her husband’s permission for taking her own life – exclaiming that even her own death is in his hands, outbalances Bhansali’s intention.
Performances :-
Ranveer Singh’s portrayal of Alauddin Khilji is flawless, meaning he justifies the director’s vision of Khilji - as a dirty Sultan (literally and figuratively), whose face is always smeared with what appears to be a disgusting combination of blood and mud even while he is not on the battlefield. And Ranveer bites his teeth into the character like you bite your teeth into a burger, and makes you loathe him, everytime he is on screen. Powerhouse!
Shahid Kapoor as Ratan Singh has precisely one expression on his face from start to end, which is so disappointing, considering how amazing he was in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider (2014). Nevertheless, he looks everybit a noble king, with angelic eyes screaming his innocence and a face that appears as if it was just cleansed with a charcoal based facewash with a fake tan, of course, because “dessert.” COME ON!! There is one particular scene towards the end where he is challenging Khilji and he almost transforms into “Thakur” from Sholay, the best thing being, he is also wearing a shawl.
Deepika Padukone personifies Royalty as Rani Padmavati and proves why she was the perfect choice for the character. This woman plays nurse, is witty, strategizes war and political moves, hunts deer, plays nurse, sews clothes, is a dedicated wife and dances with elegance and grace wearing a 50 kilogram ghaghra (well yeah, I am exaggerating the last part. Inhone movie exaggerate kar li yar? Mei toh fir bhi ghaghra kar rahi hu :/ )
Amongst the unidimensional leads, it is the ever radiant Aditi Rao Hydari as Khilji’s wife Mehrunissa, who makes a mark – standing out because of her controlled act, making you long for more.
Jim Sarbh is underutilized and appears just like a cardboard cut out.
Watch o Not ? Watch it for SLB's archaic vision, grandiose, Deepika Padukone's fierceness and Ranveer Singh!
Verdict :
It is basically the pedestalizing of the Rajputs - To put it in a better way, Padmaavat is just Bhansali trying to win the lauds of the mentioned clan by glorifying them, rather unrealistically, and showing the Khilji’s as cringe-worthy monsters who never bathe. The movie otherwise wins hands down for the background music, breathtaking visuals, complete attention to the details, brilliantly camerawork and cinematography, VFX (especially 40 mins towards the climax) and ofcourse, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone who shoulder the factually flawed film. It definitely keeps you hooked, just not as interested as Khilji was in Padmavati.
Ratings - 3.5/5 (Extra 1 just for the bewitching visuals and Deepika's performance)
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