A Colorful Painting on Celluloid!. Review on Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Well yesterday I watched "Goliyon ki Rassleela: Ram leela", and I desperately wanted to see it for some reasons - wanted to watch vivid colors on big screen & wanted to hear and see the colorful high beats songs on dolby, and I can say now that I am fully satisfied. This is my expectation of the film, and it is rated on my likings, I will rate it as a4/5, now lets continue with the review.

Inspired from Shakespeare's'Romeo & Juliet', the story of this movie is no different. There are two clans residing in Gujarat'Rajadi' &'Saneda' in a gun-loving village, and both the clans are always hunting each other, reason: the long rivalry between the two. Saneda clan is led by Dhankor Baa(Supriya Pathak), who has 2 sons and 1 daughter, the daughter is obviously the heroine Leela(Deepika Padukone). Our hero is from Rajadi clan and is name is Ram(Ranveer Singh) who enters in the movie in style by the song'Tattad Tattad'. He owns a porn video library, and falls in love with this Saneda girl in the amidst of bullets flowing between the two clans, and it is love at first sight, when he saw her at a holi song'Lahu Muh Lag Gaya', and instantly Leela too falls for Ram, Guess they both are made for each other! They started meeting each other chupke-chupke and their love is HOT n STEAMY, since they pounce on each other many times, singing songs like "Ishqiyaon Dishqiyaon', and frequently kisses each other. But this rivalry cost 2 main lives on both sides, when by accident, Leela's elder brother Kanji(Sharad Kelkar) killed Ram's elder brother Meghji(Abhimanyu Singh), and in turn Ram killed Kanji. Bullets started flying more rapidly, but Ram runs away with Leela. Later they've been caught and sent different ways and both becomes the leaders of their clan, so as to stop the rivalry, but later kill each other to stop any more killings.

So, as you all knew this story is no different inspired from a classic, and adapted into Gujarati backdrop. It gave you the feel of earlier made movies like'Asoka', the comic'Hulchul' and rough'Ishaqzaade', and I also remember an English animation movie'Gnomeo & Juliet', so no points on that, but the upper hand comes here is the screenplay and the dialogues section. 1st half is simply awesome, which had everything, the action, the hot and raunchy romance, the colors, the feelings with interception of beautiful vivid songs, and everything goes perfectly, even though the film is unrealistic in many sense. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has done a good job is directing the movie alongwith writing the screenplay alongwitt Siddharth-Garima & Rutvik Oza. This movie is on the lines of'Saawariya' on the fact that it is shot on sets, and gave the feeling that it's the set not the original location, be it large artistic haveli rooms of the heroine's palace, or the gali of the Ranjhar where the hero dances to nice tunes, the art direction is superb. But SLB didn't falter here like'Saawariya', and he presented a good watch with something for the audience to chew while watching the drama on sets. This is the best attempt from SLB after'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', and you'll find many similarities, like the Gujarat backdrop, drama, feel and the songs. The film is shot beautifully at Gujarat and esp. Udaipur(I identified the place, the lake where the pair get separated aka Jagatrana), full credit to the DOP and cinematography unit (Ravi Varman)

All the actors stand out in the performance, but especially Ranveer and Deepika, they both look hot, gorgeous and raunchy as the character demands, their chemistry gelled perfectly, while they are showing the haunting love to each other which goes like when hero ask "Agar maine chhod diya" and heroine replies "To trigger daba dungi". Abhimanyu Singh, Sharad Kelkar, and Gulshan Devaiah(as Leela's younger brother Bhavani) also gave good performances. Other standout performances were by the yesteryear actress Supriya Pathak as the main vemp of the movie, she acted it really well and also Richa Chaddha(as wife of Kanji), she also played the role well. The setup and the theme was good, but it's actually unrealistic, like there could be a village where guns were sold so freely, everybody tries to kill each other just like its a jungleraaz there, plus, many things like everybody's having mobile and talking english is just not possible in the setting, but that didn't provide any hindrance, it adds to the flavor though. 2nd half is a let down, as the story stretched to a full 3 hr journey, with nothing much to show except the agony of separated souls, and the sad endings. It could be trimmed down a bit.

Songs were another best part of the movie, I have written a separate review on the songs, you can read it, the standout songs were'Lahu Muh Lag Gaya' sung well by Shail Hada, 'Ang Laga de' by Aditi Paul, 'Tattad Tattad' by Aditya Narayan, 'Nagada Sang Dhol' by Shreya Ghoshal. Wonderful music which stands in the league of HDDCS, music given by Monty & SLB, nice beats to listen on big screen, shot beautifully. The film also has its share of controversies, which led to some disclaimers at the beginning, but which are totally not required as I think of them. It either gave the message that my religion is a weak religion affected by just some names, or it says the narrow mentality of some Indians, like we are living in a stone Age.

I am recommending this movie, and that too only for big screen, since then you can enjoy the vastness of this colorful movie, watch it for dialogues, good 1st half and the hot and happening chemistry between Ranveer-Deepika, enjoy the songs and backdrop, don't expect much. Its just like a painting on celluloid.4/5. Do not watch with children, it being a goliyon ki raasleela!

GRuchirG.

Jai Raam ji ki:)