Bajirao Mastani: A historical leap

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s spectacle takes liberties with the past

Ranveer Singh in a still from the film.– Photo: Special arrangement

evdas onwards, some elements have been a given in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘filmi’ universe. That he will place an intimate love story on a larger than life canvas and turn it into a grand, melodramatic spectacle. Bhansali is unapologetic about wallowing in visual excess in his latest outing, Bajirao Mastani , as well. He also makes it amply clear in the disclaimer at the very start, that though based on N.S. Inamdar’s Rau , his love triangle — of Peshwa Bajirao I, his first wife Kashi and second wife Mastani—is not a historically accurate narrative but one which takes liberties with the period, the setting and the story. Here, the Peshwa’s political battles, conquests and courtroom intrigues remain a mere backdrop to the more significant matters of heart.

In true Bhansali tradition, Bajirao Mastani does scream opulence. There are fountains, chandeliers, drapes, headgear and jewellery, all of which seem to weigh the actors down. There are also several nods to Raja Ravi Verma kitsch with some scenes that seem straight out of his calendar art. The extravagant setting is backed by a stylised operatic narrative, song-n-dance set-pieces, declamatory dialogue and emotions that are forever heightened. Crowds are in perfect geometry even as feelings are carefully choreographed. Notice how well the Peshwa’s teardrop is orchestrated in the scene where he blows the lamps off and bids a sad farewell to his betrayed first wife, Kashibai. One dramatic confrontation follows another, in fact, the confrontations, the argumentative characters, their high strung interactions and emotions are relentless. There is not a moment of silence. Even when there is —the pounding background music takes over.

But

Bajirao Mastani gets more ambitious with what it intends to do. There is the Holi song, which seems straight out of

Pakeezah . There is the obvious nod to

Mughal-e-Azam (

Deewani Mastani , beautifully staged in the

aina mahal /hall of mirrors, a throwback to

Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya ), there are the

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- inspired leaps and jumps in the combats and the

300: Rise Of An Empire- like battle scenes.

Wish Bhansali could have kept the film less protracted and gone a little easy on the excess, especially in the overwrought climax, because there is something in

Bajirao Mastani that reaches out and keeps you intensely engaged even as it wears you down. The Hindu-Muslim love angle could have been tackled with more depth rather than mere talk of politics of colour —kesariya (saffron) and hara (green) — but it is timely and relevant in the way it takes on religion and orthodoxy. The dialogue might be old-worldly (ishq, ibadat etc) but the actors mouthing them are in great form. They help the passion and poignancy come through.

Ranveer Singh is charismatic and charming, complete with the Marathi inflection in his lingo and those electric moves in Malhari (who cares whether Peshwas danced or not). Vulnerable yet macho, funny and flamboyant, his chemistry with Deepika holds well when they spar passionately. Deepika smoulders and looks radiant, as usual, but it is Priyanka, disappointingly absent from the first half, who is disarmingly warm and dignified in the second.

Some of the more interesting Bhansali tropes add to the film’s impact and appeal. The female bonding over a man in Devdas’s

Dola re Dola re becomes

Pinga here. But it’s the trajectory and transformation of the two women that is worth noting. While Mastani starts all desire and defiance, she eventually turns docile in love. On the other hand, the docile and domesticated Kashibai accepts Mastani on her own terms even as she berates her husband. While there is a strange passivity in Mastani’s fiery persona, there is strong resolve and cussedness in Kashi’s seeming passivity.

Lastly, it’s interesting how Bhansali is the closest ally women have in Bollywood when it comes to the female gaze. It’s not a coy, bashful one of the Charulata kind but that of a blatant voyeur. Be it the towel-wrapped Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya or glisteningly oiled Ranveer Singh, all rippling muscles as he bathes away in a scene— it’s the male body that is stared at and celebrated through the heroine, and, in turn, the filmmaker’s eye view. We are certainly not complaining.

Bajirao Mastani

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Tanvi Azmi

Run time: 158 minutes