Sultan Review

July 7, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The story of a fallen hero who fights back can be predictable. This is more applicable in the case of Ali Abbas Zafar’s Sultan since the makers revealed almost everything in the trailer. However, this doesn’t turn out to be a hindrance since the predictability is enjoyable and moving due to various factors.

Sultan revolves around Sultan (Salman Khan), who lives a happy-go-lucky life in Rewari, Haryana while working as a dish TV operator. His eyes fall on Arfa (Anushka Sharma), a wrestler, and he instantly falls for her. In order to win her love, he learns wrestling and goes onto become an Olympic Gold Medalist for India. But one incident ensures he loses everything. How will Sultan fight back?

There is no doubt that Sultan is about wrestling. But it’s more about various internal battles the protagonist is fighting against himself. And the film rises to a high level because this aspect is taken care of very smartly. Hence, you start rooting for Sultan, even if you are not a Salman fan. These factors ensure you don’t mind the predictability, even in the climax, which produces a deep impact.

But Sultan satisfies more in the second half. This doesn’t mean that the first half is bad. It’s just that the important turns in the tale aren’t justified completely. For example, Sultan’s love track is hugely important but the manner in which he falls in love is quite immature. The typical 90s method of the hero stalking and troubling the girl is passed off as romance. A couple of other important incidents too are not fully convincing. Thankfully, the various plus points of the second half won’t let you think much of these points.

Music wise (Vishal-Shekhar), Sultan is a rare case of all songs being impressive. As they are placed as per the situation, none of them appear forced. The title song and ‘Jag ghoomeya’ are the best of the lot. Sultan also impresses in the technical department (camerawork, background score and editing). The stunt director deserves high praise for the high number of wrestling scenes.

Lastly, it is Salman Khan’s dedicated performance that plays a large role in creating the heartwarming effect. This character would have been challenging for any actor, both in terms of acting skills and the physical exertion. The hard-work he put in is clearly visible. Although not his best but clearly one of his best acts.

To highly impress in a film that celebrates Salman is a big feat and this is exactly what Anushka Sharma achieves with a powerful act. Although she doesn’t quite appear like a wrestler, she doesn’t let it show. As Salman’s best friend Govind, Anant Sharma is highly impressive. He is sure to become famous in the coming days. Amit Sadh too is likeable as the owner of Pro Wrestling Federation. Kumud Mishra, as Sultan’s coach, delivers yet another skilful act. The various other supporting actors, including Randeep Hooda, too play their part well.

Overall: Sultan is a powerfully moving saga. It is sure to earn huge collections at the box-office. On the first day itself the film has earned around Rs 38 crore, despite the day not turning out to be Eid.

Rating: * * * 1/2

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writer: Ali Abbas Zafar

Cast: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Anant Sharma, Amit Sadh, Kumud Mishra, Randeep Hooda

Music: Vishal Shekhar

Genre: Drama

Runtime/ Length: 170 minutes

Sultan Box-Office: How many records will the Salman Khan starrer break?

July 3, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Salman Khan’s Sultan is just three days away from release. The excitement for the film is phenomenal to say the least. In fact, the anticipation is simply crazy. This can be seen from the terrific advance booking sales today, the day when the booking started. The online booking too is going the remarkable way.

So, the basic question shouldn’t be whether the film will be a blockbuster. It should rather be as to how many box-office records (in India) Sultan would set. Let’s explore the prediction.

Highest first day collection: This record is in the name of Shah Rukh Khan’s Happy New Year, which earned Rs 44 crore on the opening day. Going by the sheer excitement, the Eid holiday and the fact that it’s releasing in more than 3500 screens, Sultan is likely to beat this record.

Highest opening weekend: Salman’s own Prem Ratan Dhan Payo holds this record as it amassed Rs 129 crore in its first weekend. But the film was released on Friday while Sultan will see the light of day on Wednesday. Hence, there is every possibility of it setting a new record in this category too. Trade pundits have predicted the film to gather Rs 150 crore in the first weekend.

Salman’s biggest box-office hit: Bajrangi Bhaijaan tops the list here with Rs 319 crore. Although Sultan is all set to become a blockbuster, the prediction whether or not it will beat BB can be made only after knowing its word-of-mouth.

Biggest box-office hit of all time: Aamir Khan’s PK currently relishes this position with Rs 338 crore. Over here too content will solely decide whether Sultan will become a film with the highest box-office collections ever. The prediction over here depends only on the content.

So, all eyes are set on Wednesday July 6, 2016 to see whether history will be created at the Indian box-office.

Udta Punjab Review

June 18, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

It is vital for a film revolving around drug addiction and drug politics to be brave, bold and honest in order for it to turn out to be a winner. But Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab achieves much more. It is also an entertaining and engaging saga that goes beyond just portraying the drug menace in Punjab.

Udta Punjab tells the story of four individuals in Punjab disconnected with each other. Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor) is a pop sensation. But he is not only a drug addict but also promotes drugs through his songs. A Bihari migrant worker (Alia Bhatt) accidentally lays her hands on a packet of drugs and her life changes.

A junior police officer, Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) is forced to be in a system that shields drug mafia. Dr Preet Sahni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) has vowed to serve the victims of drug abuse. There is one common factor in the lives of these four strangers – the white powder.

The phrase ‘Action speaks louder than words’ applies to this film. The rampant usage, availability and addiction of drugs in Punjab are portrayed through visuals and normal conversations, instead of the age old technique of someone speaking out the situation. There is some smart undertone of humor too.

This is just one of the numerous aspects that highlight the writers’ and director’s mature and intelligent manner of handling the subject. The result provides shock and worry with regards to one of India’s most celebrated states. There are various sequences that leave you with some question or the other. But the film doesn’t stop at that. It also provides a sensible solution to the drug problem.

And while the proceedings are going on, you realize, even before the interval, as to why some evil forces were super frightened of this film. But since the film is released without the super silly cuts ordered by CBFC (all thanks to the Bombay High Court), it will now become a trending topic and life will become difficult for the Punjab Government.

One of the few minor negative points includes the pace in the second half, which also increases the length, few logical errors and the act of a couple of characters.

The film is technically sound (cinematography, editing and background score). Despite the subject not being song-friendly, the tracks are smartly included to enhance the narrative and all of them are impressive too.

The performances play a large role, which was vital. Shahid Kapoor once again shows he is a dedicated artist. He completely gets into the shoes of a very challenging character in a way which can be described as brilliant. In Highway, Alia Bhatt showed her acting ability. With Udta Punjab, she moves few notches higher with a remarkable act. Those writing open letters to her without watching the film should have waited.

Diljit Dosanjh, Punjabi superstar making his acting debut, leaves a solid impact. He deserves to be seen in more Hindi films. Kareena Kapoor Khan’s act also falls in the positive category. Satish Kaushik, Kamal Tiwari and the actor playing Diljit’s younger brother too chip in with useful supporting acts.

Overall: Udta Punjab is a bold and daring saga about drug menace in Punjab, which is also high on entertainment. With the tremendous hype, mostly due to Pahlaj Nihalani, the film has a decent chance of earning positive box-office collections despite it not being a massy affair. It’s first day collection has been Rs 10 crore.

(Personal note: With the silly accusations on the makers and the shoddy act of leaking the full movie for download on Torrent two days before release, it is clear that there are forces trying their best to harm a film that portrays a shocking reality. Let’s not make them victorious by endorsing piracy.)

Rating: * * * *

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producers: Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures

Writers: Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Diljit Dosanjh

Music: Amit Trivedi

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 149 minutes

Waiting Movie Review

May 25, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Anu Menon

Producers: Ishka Films and Drishyam Films

Writers: Anu Menon, James Ruzicka and Atika Chohan

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Kalki Koechlin, Rajat Kapoor, Suhasini Maniratnam, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee

Genre: Drama

Release date: May 27, 2016

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Director Anu Menon’s Waiting brings back memories of Ananth Narayan Mahadevan’s Staying Alive. While the latter showcases friendship between two patients on either side of the law, the former is about an unusual bond between two starkly opposite characters whose dear ones are battling for their lives in the ICU.

Thankfully, both films are poles apart in terms of storyline and treatment. Perhaps, the one similarity that Waiting shares with Mahadevan’s film is that it succeeds in moving you with its honest approach, skilled storytelling and dedicated performances. It’s an example of how a new-age content oriented film should be.

Coming to the storyline, Shiv (Naseeruddin Shah) and Tara (Kalki Koechlin) are waiting anxiously and nervously in the waiting room of a hospital in Cochin. The former’s wife and latter’s husband are battling for their lives in the ICU; both in a state of coma. The common tragedy creates an unusual bond between Shiv and Tara, two starkly opposite personalities.

Waiting is not story driven. It’s more of a situational based film, which gets its crucial areas right. The unusual bond between Shiv and Tara is delightful and heartwarming. Their situations and dilemmas are realistic but that doesn’t take the film on a depressing path even a bit. In fact, there is humour galore. What works further is the unconventional climax that goes so well with the genre.

The only negative area here is the behavior of the two characters on few occasions. It is not possible to elaborate on this point further to avoid spoilers.

The technical aspects perfectly gel with the theme and genre. The camerawork is real as well as creative. There is minimal use of background score, which was a smart idea. The editing too deserves similar praise.

Despite such high amounts of plus points, it is vital for such films to score very high on performances and that is exactly what the actors deliver. As expected from a stalwart like him, Naseeruddin Shah is thoroughly brilliant. He once again succeeds in portraying various emotions and various shades of his character with remarkable ease.

Kalki Koechlin isn’t far behind though. She pulls off a difficult and complex character of Tara with sincerity. It is inspiring to see her display varied emotions like sadness, excitement and anxiety so effortlessly. She matches up to Shah and that is certainly not easy to achieve. The film has fine supporting acts from Rajat Kapoor, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Suhasini Maniratnam and Arjun Mathur.

Overall: Waiting is a well-crafted slice-of-life saga that surely deserves a watch if you prefer films with strong content. It relies heavily on strong word-of-mouth to create any impact at the box-office.

Fan Movie Review (Spoiler-free)

April 16, 2016 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Director: Maneesh Sharma

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Habib Faisal and Maneesh Sharma

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Waluscha D’Souza, Sayani Gupta

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Genre: Thriller

Runtime/ Duration: 143 minutes

Rating: * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Shah Rukh Khan has acquired the title of one of the biggest superstars through his numerous larger-than-life characters. But it is only due to his acts in films like Swades and Chak De! India that he has earned respect as an artist. Now, we can add Fan in the rare list of his epic performances.

But does the film live up to the expectations? Well, the answer falls in between yes and no, with the pendulum swinging more towards the former due to SRK. It’s an out-of-the-box concept narrated in a thrilling manner only to be let down by the climax and few other issues.

As per the title, Fan is the story of a die-hard fan. Gaurav Chhabra (Shah Rukh Khan) is the most crazily obsessed fan of superstar Aryan Khanna (SRK). Miraculously, Gaurav is also a lookalike of Aryan.

Gaurav’s only wish in life is to meet his ‘God’ once for five minutes. However, that meeting turns out to be a nightmare for him. It affects Gaurav in an unimaginable way.

What works for Fan is the concept and the manner in which the story is established by the writer and director. The twists born out of the consequences take the film to an enjoyably thrilling mode, especially during some stunt and chase sequences. There are quite a few instances that stun you.

These points, however, would have been counted for much without Shah Rukh Khan’s super brilliant act. The way he has juggled two starkly different characters with such ease will also impress his haters. The rest of the cast – Waluscha D’Souza, Sayani Gupta and actors playing Gaurav’s parents – is also decent.

But Fan comes with a baggage of negative points, which are as follows:-

– There is inconsistency over people’s reactions to Gaurav being Aryan’s lookalike.

– Some loopholes are too big and silly to ignore.

– The film provides an important message in the end. However, the final climax defeats its very purpose. This is the major drawback here.

– Absence of the famous ‘Jabra fan’ song is also a dampener.

Overall: Fan is an engaging thriller that surely could have been better. The hype and SRK’s act will help the film garner impressive collections at the box- office.

Jai Gangaajal Review – Who exactly is the protagonist here?

March 5, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Prakash Jha

Producers: Prakash Jha Productions, A A Films and Play Entertainment

Writer: Prakash Jha

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Jha, Manav Kaul, Kiran Karmarkar, Murli Sharma, Ninad Kamat, Vega Tamotia

Music: Salim-Sulaiman

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * ½

Review By: Keyur Seta

Picture: Jai Gangaajal Facebook page

After Raajneeti, filmmaker Prakash Jha hasn’t been able to show his class in the films that followed – Aarakshan, Chakravyuh and Satyagrah. His latest outing, Jai Gangaajal, thankfully, turns out to be better than these three films. However, it suffers from some strange issues. The biggest one being the confusion over the main protagonist.

Jai Gangaajal takes place in the small town, Bankipur, which is a lawless land. So much so that the cops have become hand-in-gloves with the evil politicians of the town – minister Ramakant Chowdhary (Kiran Karmarkar) and his protégé MLA Babloo Pandey (Manav Kaul). But there are also some like inspector B N Singh (Prakash Jha), who are forced to side with them against their will and conscience.

After the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bankipur becomes too much for the bad guys, he is replaced by the idealist and honest Abha Mathur (Priyanka Chopra). Chowdhary and Pandey are sure that a woman SP won’t pose any harm, but they are soon proved wrong. However, will she alone be able to make a difference in the long run?

Plusses:

– Jai Gangaajal is an engaging affair. Jha’s faced-paced script coupled with some interesting and witty dialogues keep you gripped. The first half, especially, is enjoyable.

– Jha’s in-and-out knowledge and understanding of politics is seen once again.

Picture: YouTube still

– Action sequences featuring Priyanka Chopra are impressive and exciting. It is heartening to see her beat the hell out of the bad guys. She succeeds in providing yet another powerful act.

– Salim-Sulaiman’s songs, all of which are played in the background, add more life to the action sequences. Other technicalities like cinematography and background score too fall in the positive category.

– Jha pleasantly surprises by his mature acting skills, making us wonder why he didn’t go in front of the camera all these years. However, at times, mostly during the action sequences, he appears uncomfortable.

– The film also has fine performances from Rahul Bhat (as the social worker), Kiran Karmarkar, Murli Sharma and Ninad Kamat. But, despite the fact that her character ends soon, Vega Tamotia manages to impress and gives a clear message that she deserves to be seen more.

– But Manav Kaul, the antagonist, is the best thing to have happened to Jai Gangaajal. He is outstandingly brilliant as the ruthlessly corrupt Babloo Pandey. After CityLights and Wazir, he once again forces other filmmakers to make note of himself and how!

Minuses:

Manav Kaul – Picture: YouTube still

– The story of an honest police officer rising against the baddies is badly done-to-death in Hindi cinema. In this case, the confrontational sequences between both the parties too are something that we have been witnessing since decades.

– But more surprisingly, the basic plot of Jai Gangaajal is eerily similar to its prequel, Gangaajal. In fact, a couple of sequences and even a few dialogues are straight out of that film.

– The duration of 2 hours and 38 minutes is too long for such a storyline.

– The climax is truly abrupt. It is difficult to believe that film actually ended this way.

– But the most troubling aspect is that Jha gets more importance than Priyanka. As surprising as it may sound, his character gets to carry out more heroic deeds than Abha Mathur. This clearly amounts to making a fool of the audience by highlighting Priyanka as the main lead in the promotional material. This will not go down well with her fans.

Overall: Jai Gangaajal is an average fare despite an impressive first half. The film is for those who enjoy political dramas. Going by the content and the not-so-positive opening collections, its box-office prospects don’t appear bright.

Shaktidaai Drishya (Poem based on Airlift’s flag scene)

January 26, 2016 by Keyur Seta 5 Comments

The flag scene in director Raja Krishna Menon and actor Akshay Kumar’s Airlift is having a profoundly heartwarming effect on the audience. It is a non-verbal sequence that speaks more than a thousand years. Here is a poem based on the scene on the occasion of India’s Republic Day.

Shaktidaai Drishya (title)

By: Keyur Seta

Picture: Still from YouTube

Ummeed na thi manzil paane ki,
Na thi taakat kadam badhane ki,
Namumkin tha shikhar tak pohochna,
Ab toh naseeb ko hi tha kosna,

Khada tha main thaka hua,
Baadhaaon ke saamne hara hua,
Aanthon dishaon se jhele vaar,
Ab tha kewal ant ka intezar,

Par hawa ne ekaek rukh badla,
Shakti ka swar hriday se nikla,
Durbalta ke baadal hue adrishya,
Aisa tha woh shaktidaai drishya,

Kadmo mein nayi jaan aai thi,
Ab toh manzil door nahin thi,
Veerta ki hai woh behti Ganga,
Saadhaaran nahin apna tiranga

Airlift Review

January 23, 2016 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Raja Krishna Menon

Producers: Hari Om Productions, Cape of Good Films, T-Series and Crouching Tiger Motion Pictures

Writers: Vijay Krishna Menon

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra, Inamulhaq

Music: Amaal Malik and Ankit Tiwari

Genre: Drama/ Thrillers

Rating: * * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Akshay Kumar was once known as the king of whacky comedies. But over the last couple of years, he has been associating himself with thought-provoking patriotic sagas like Holiday, Gabbar Is Back and Baby. He continues his impressive run with Airlift. To put it simply, it is an overwhelmingly brilliant piece of cinema, which lifts you in a way very few films can.

The story takes place in Kuwait in the year 1990. Ranjit Katiyal (Akshay Kumar), an NRI, is a shrewd businessman living a luxurious life with his wife Amrita (Nimrat Kaur) and a child. He considers himself a true Kuwaiti and hates being referred to as an Indian. But after Iraq, in the leadership of Saddam Hussain, invades Kuwait, life suddenly turns upside down for Rajiv and the 1 lakh 70 thousand ‘Indians’ working in the country.

Picture: Airlift Facebook page

Firstly, the makers should be lauded for throwing light on this unthinkable achievement of the biggest evacuation ever in the world! It is quite a shame that many of us are completely unaware of such a feat, but let’s not go into that for now.

But good intentions alone aren’t enough to make a good film. To say that Airlift has more than just good intentions will be an understatement since the film excels in every department. The script and Menon’s direction deserves special mention. In a situational-based film, the onus is more on the narration and presentation and one can find utmost precision in both departments. The result is a gripping narrative that doesn’t let you look at your watch throughout.

The biggest triumph for Airlift, however, is the profoundly heartwarming climax. It develops an intensely emotional patriotic feeling without any use of powerful dialogues or punch lines. The effect is the highest when visuals alone do the talking, is proven here. Plus, the final moments throw in quite a few messages, which, once again, aren’t spoken about.

There are a few weaklings though. Two important plot twists, one at the start and other at the end, aren’t explored the way they should have. Thankfully, these issues aren’t glaring at all.

The subject doesn’t offer much scope for music. But the tracks manage to impress. The ‘Vande Mataram’ song surely stands out and becomes an important reason for the climax triggering the desired effect.

There is some high quality work from the technical departments too – Priya Seth’s camerawork, background score, editing as well as production design.

Now, onto the performances. This is yet another film that proves that Akshay Kumar is no longer limited to being a superstar or an entertainer. He has now become a fine artist. The way in which he puts his heart into the character and his decision to select this film will increase the number of his admirers abundantly. This one is easily one of his best acts.

After The Lunchbox, Nimrat Kaur once again displays her talent. An actor like her surely deserves to be seen more. The same can be said about Inamulhaq (of Filmistaan fame), who is impressive as a comical Iraqi Major. Kumud Mishra once again succeeds in giving a mature act. There are convincing performances from a host of supporting actors – Purab Kohli, Prakash Belawadi, Ferena Wazeir and Ninad Kamat, to name a few.

Overall: Airlift is an overwhelming patriotic saga and one of Akshay Kumar’s best films. It has had a decent box-office opening by earning Rs 12.35 crore on its first day. But it depends on positive word-of-mouth to make a major impact at the box-office.

Picture: Airlift Facebook page

Dilwale Review: 7 reasons why the film doesn’t work

December 20, 2015 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Rohit Shetty

Producers: Rohit Shetty Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment

Writers: Yunus Sajawal and Sajid-Farhad

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon

Music: Pritam

Genre: (??)

Rating: * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

In today’s era, earning Rs 100 or 200 crore has become a result of a single formula – sign big stars, include larger-than-life elements like colorful romance, crazy humor and powerful action, market your film like desperados and, most importantly, book 20 or more shows in a single multiplex. Do this dedicatedly and you will get your blockbuster. Too hell with content! Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale is a product of such a formula.

The film tries to tell the story of Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and his younger brother Veer (Varun Dhawan). They are running a garage in Goa and leading a simple life. Veer comes across a young girl, Ishita (Kriti Sanon) and instantly falls for her. Raj has had a dark past, about which neither Veer nor the people staying in the vicinity are aware of. Meera (Kajol) is an integral part of his past. All of a sudden, Raj’s dark past enters his present in a strange manner.

Picture: Indicine.com

Here are 7 reasons why the film doesn’t work (no spoilers here):-

– The basic storyline is illogical and unconvincing. In fact, some serious twists and story development induce unintentional laughter. Of course, one shouldn’t look for logic in such films. But when the root premise is so silly, it becomes difficult to accept. Plus, once the story is established, you can predict the entire film.

– There is no flow as the screenplay is all over the place. It seems the writers have mixed commercial elements haphazardly.

– As surprising as it may sound, gangsters form an important part of the tale. But that’s not the problem. The problem is that this is the most unconvincing portrayal of gangsters ever in a mainstream Hindi film.

– Rohit Shetty’s obsession for car stunts has reached an annoying level. Seriously, there isn’t much difference in the screentime given to humans and cars.

– You just don’t feel anything for Kajol’s character because of her acts. Other characters too face behavioral issues.

– There is blatant sexism related to the character of Sidhu’s (Varun Sharma) girlfriend.

– Now, the most important point. The love angle between SRK and Kajol’s characters lacks soul. We are just made to assume that they are deeply in love just because they are the most loved pair. Naturally, you don’t gain sympathy for their love story either.

The few good things include some mild entertainment and few jokes here and there. The scene about ‘Ramlal aur Pogo’ is the only paisa vasool element. The music isn’t up-to-the-mark either. The background score has a single theme music played throughout the entire duration. The camerawork is decent while the editing is average.

Coming to the performances, Shah Rukh Khan carries the film on his shoulders through a mature act. Kajol too displays her acting prowess. It is always good to see them together. However, as pointed above, the content and treatment ensures you don’t feel for the couple. Varun Dhawan once again proves his mettle. Kriti Sanon, Mukesh Tiwari, Pankaj Tripathi and Johnny Lever provide good support. Boman Irani is wasted.

Overall: Dilwale proves that having Shah Rukh and Kajol together isn’t enough to satisfy audiences. This won’t hurt the producers though as the film is on its way to becoming a blockbuster at the box office through some high collections despite the presence of Bajirao Mastani.

Review: Bajirao Mastani

December 19, 2015 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Producers: Eros International and SLB Films

Writers: N S Inamdar (novel) Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mallika Dutt Gharde and Prakash Kapadia

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra

Music: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

Review By: Keyur Seta

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani has been in the news for good and bad reasons. While the trailers have received tremendous applause, the film is also being panned for distorting history, based on the promos. But the most relevant question is whether it lives up to the expectations. The answer is a yes but not a resounding one.

The story takes place in Pune in the early 1700s. Peshwa Bajirao (Ranveer Singh) is installed as the new Maratha emperor after the death of his father. He strikes gold immediately by winning various territories of India. Now, his aim is to rule over the entire country. Bajirao has a loving wife, Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra).

Once while his troop is matching towards a town, he is approached by Mastani (Deepika Padukone), daughter of the emperor of Bundelkhand. She asks Bajirao to help her army fight against an enemy as they are about to lose. Bajirao agrees and he and Mastani emerge victorious. At the same time, an unusual bond develops between Bajirao and Mastani.

On most occasions, period biopics with a length of more than 2 hours 30 minutes tend to lose pace somewhere. Despite a runtime of158 minutes, however, Bajirao Mastani passes off in a jiffy due to a fast paced screenplay and some moving poetic dialogues. But what is equally responsible is Bhansali’s creative presentation. Almost every frame is a visual treat. He has inserted visual poetry even in the simplest of sequences.

Taking creative liberties in a feature is fine. Over here, the makers state at the start that the film has fictional elements and is not a representation of actual history. But on numerous occasions, Bhansali overdoes in taking that liberty. Among various scenes, it is seen in songs ‘Pinga’ and ‘Malhari’. The second one is truly insane. You can’t justify Bajirao dancing in the most tapori-est manner with phrases like ‘Vaat laagli.

Another major drawback is the romance part. The film is a love account of Bajirao and Mastani. But the manner in which love blossoms between them is half-baked. So, you don’t feel much for them. This also affects the climax, which also suffers for being self-indulgent and over-creative.

The songs add to the plusses. But ‘Pinga’ and ‘Malhari’ should have been avoided for reasons mentioned above. The artistic and skillful camerawork has its big share in making the film a visual treat. The background score generates effect while the editing too is up-to-the-mark.

Bhansali always manages to extract great performances from his actors and this film is no exception. With this amazingly dedicated performance, Ranveer Singh has now emerged as a fine artist, rather than just a star. This will be considered one of his best performances when he ends his career. Deepika Padukone continues her winning ways with another powerful act.

Priyanka Chopra deserves equal praise. She convincingly plays a woman who is going through an inner turmoil but doesn’t show on her face. The rest of the actors too play their parts with dedication.

Overall: Bajirao Mastani is a creative visual treat that can be seen once. The film will rake in good numbers at the box office despite the clash with Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale.