New Delhi:
Bajirao Mastani, a film which is all about a warrior who fights two battles, one ahead and one behind. The one fought with swords and spears is not a match for the chiselled knight but the other is so deeply embroiled in the realms of religion, love and pride that it sends tremors to the very foundation of an empire.
Epics are hard to come by in Bollywood and it is sad that in a country so rich in its history, inspirations are often taken from foreign plots. Bajirao Mastani is a pleasant portrayal of the Maratha royalty even though it misses the chance of using their culture more creatively. What replaces it is the pomp and glamour of the Bhansali banner which admittedly, has been toned down to suit the plot.
The film has a swift beginning, one in which most characters are established in quick succession. As things conspire, the film soon becomes centred around the titled love story. If metaphors are to be believed then the first scene, one in which Bajirao is asked to split a feather with an arrow; his love for Mastani stands to be that arrow and the feather being the Maratha kingdom.
Pulling off a Marathi accent with the roar of a Peshwa might have been a tall order for most but Ranveer's flair matched the standards needed despite the fact that his erect spine occasionally gave way to a hunched child-like smile. Everybody else, including Mahesh Manjrekar seem to be working in a sub-plot to cater to his prominence.
The chemistry between Ranveer and Deepika is well-known but the standout chemistry has been the Deepika-Priyanka one. The forgiving, compassionate and responsible Priyanka is an avatar we haven't seen before. The two are bound to bring up comparisons from the Devdas duo of Aishwarya and Madhuri and deservedly so.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has mastered the art of creating movies with epic sets and plots, has done justice to his title in this instalment as well. His meticulous style is self-revealing and awe inspiring. The magnificence of his finesse is such that the background music could not match the same.
Even songs which are individually good were losing their grace while running through the plot; blame it on the top class performances or the heavily glorified picturisation that the music took a back seat.
The problem really lies with the climax and a story which was so heavy on romance really doesn't quite reach its vanity despite being stretched in some instances. What Bajirao Mastani really misses is a villain, an antagonist or a rival. In the absence of one, too much is left on Ranveer's shoulders to accomplish. As it stands, Bajirao Mastani would be remembered for what it could have been rather than what it is.
