Bajirao Dilwala. Review on Bajirao Mastani

The epic love saga of Bajirao – Mastani brought to you by Bhansali Productions.

The disclaimer clearly stated that the story is modified to give a dramatic effect and may not at all times represent the actual facts. Thus putting an end to any controversy which may arise on account of manipulation of facts and absolving the Producer.

Story: Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj(Mahesh Manjrekar) appoints Bajirao Ballal(Ranveer Singh) as the new Peshwa to serve the Maratha Empire. A shrewd skilled warrior, Bajirao is a visionary and dynamic strategist who dreams of expanding the Maratha Empire to all corners of India. During one venture, Chatrasal, the King of Bundelkhand seeks Bajirao’s help as the Mughals lay siege around his fort. His beautiful daughter Mastani(Deepika Padukone), a trained fighter, singer and dancer takes the responsibility to personally convey the King’s message to Bajirao.

The Mughals are then vanquished and Mastani falls in love with Bajirao, who is already married to Kashi(Priyanka Chopra). Mastani’s father was a Rajput but mother a Muslim. Her proposal for marriage to Bajirao is rejected by the Marathas, one and all. She becomes his mistress much to the dismay of the Brahmin community and sons are born to Kashi and Mastani. The Bajirao–Mastani relationship is under threat at all times but they are determined to love each other to the point of death which eventually culminates into a tragic climax.

Cast Performance: The lead cast Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra were thoroughly in their characters. Deepika as Mastani displayed great maturity & depth with impeccable dialogue delivery. Priyanka pulls out a splendid emotional performance. Ranveer was dynamic and aptly suited the character of Bajirao. Aditya Panscholi and Milind Soman as key Advisors to Chattrapati Shahu, Tanvi Azmi as mother of Bajirao and rest of the supporting cast were brilliant.

Pros: The Direction of Sanjay Leela Bhansali added great value to the screenplay and in recreating the historic era. Cinematography was excellent with decent camerawork which had great detailing of the props, backdrops and also included nice aerial views. The costumes depicting the era were modest and suited the occasions. The songs were enthralling and dance choreography flawless.

Cons: 70% of the film is drama which is shot indoors. While history records Bajirao winning over 40 consecutive battles, the film records only a couple. The film had only one major outdoor battle scene which followed the introduction of Mastani. There was another one but of less significance. Considering Bajirao and Mastani were skilled warriors, their characters could have been exploited in strengthening their relationship by joint participation in battles. Most of the film is emotional drama, brilliantly performed but the script could have been improved. There was too much negativity and the climax was also not satisfactory. Knowing the background, the lovely song ‘Pinga’ involving Deepika and Priyanka seemed an inappropriate insert, just for the sake of entertainment.

Conclusion: This film has extracts from history which is in public domain. I am not sure if the viewer will be satisfied with what is captured onscreen but it definitely lacks the core. The drama of Bajirao-Mastani romance and the fallout is intense and impactful thus complementing the title of the movie. With simultaneous release of ‘Dilwale’ and Bajirao-Mastani, the viewer will have a tough task choosing between the two films which are poles apart in their offerings. Those who can afford to watch both will not be disappointed. For those who cannot, I suggest couples opt for ‘Bajirao Mastani’ while families could go for the former.