PADMAAVAT (I): A Review

                

Let’s begin with the title of the film. Though I don’t agree with the removal of ‘I’ from the title for the reasons maintained, I can’t help feel Padmaavat is the apt title for this film. This film is on the realms of a Beauty and the Beast tale. And for such a story it requires two key elements – a beauty and a beast – and this story has both! This story is about Padmavati and Khilji equally – the good v/s evil. One can’t exist without the other on this storyboard.

 Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are the two strong pillars of this film. They hold film Padmaavat literally on their shoulders. It wouldn’t be what it is without these two actors. If one is the heart of the film, the other makes up the lifeline. They are the two completely different sides of the same coin, in other words she is the calm to his storm. It is one of their career best performances, hands down. And despite having no scenes together, their chemistry - be it of hate v/s lust or obsession v/s disgust or simply of two great actors talent – comes through big time.

Ranveer Singh takes the centre stage in this narrative, with one of the most difficult characters to portray and he does it with panache. You can’t imagine any other actor in his place for Khilji. The role was a huge risk for an A-lister, which luckily paid off for him. Like in his any film, he has become the character and you see it in his performance. But does it cross his finest performance of Bajirao, is debatable.

Khilji is a character that is loud and most often over the top; but he also exhibits utmost restraint and silence when needed. Ranveer Singh has done an amazing job in balancing it out. But again it depends on the viewer, if he/she enjoys the OTTness of the character. Khalibali song is also a point of debate. In my personal opinion, it’s loud, but that is Khilji, but then that’s also Ranveer Singh. So it entirely depends on the viewer how this performance is validated.

From what we can see from the critics and audience review so far the battle is won in Ranveer Singh’s favour. It was indeed a character that could go either way – an OTT performance or a stellar performance. But despite how you view it, you can’t shake off the fact that the actor in him has done an extraordinary job with Khilji; there’s no two way about that! If Ram-leela catapulted Ranveer into a star, Bajirao Mastani certified him as a versatile actor; Padmaavat opens the door to superstardom for him.

Coming to the other fine artist in the plot, Deepika Padukone is invincible when she portrays the Goddess Queen Padmavati. She literally brings to life the 13⁰³ AD Queen on-screen with such subtle yet fierce acting. Yes as ironical as that combination of words is, her performance holds the contrast defiantly. Though she has lesser dialogues and screen time compared to the other lead, she stands out with a flawless performance in the film. I don’t think it’s her career best when she has Piku to her credit, but it is definitely ONE of her best.

She holds the frame spectacularly every moment she is in it. Padmavati was known for her legendary beauty, but I was amused when each review of the film left, at least a line, to appreciate her beauty in the film. But once I saw her on-screen, I understand there’s no exaggeration. She has been presented beautifully; perhaps this is the film in which Ms. Padukone might look her best ever.

But just like the legendary Queen, not just her beauty, but her intelligence and courage have been explored and she delivers deftly, making this one of her finest performance. There’s no false note in her performance, not even one! An actor who can emote with eyes alone, can he/she be considered a great talent? If so, then Deepika poses that rare talent and lavishly spreads it on the canvas of this film. She plays it to the gallery with her eyes alone.

But a genuine question remains; is that enough? Somehow Ratna Pathak’s casual drawl of how there are no writers to write a meaty role for even actresses like Deepika Padukone rings at the back of your mind. From my point of view, this film is Bhansali’s love letter to Ranveer Singh’s madness and Deepika Padukone’s eyes. While he has explored different layers of Ranveer as an actor, Deepika is criminally underused, by Mr. Bhansali in general. Despite having five years of her career with him, he could not do what a Shoojit Sircar or Homi Adjania does in days with her! Bhansali sadly can’t go beyond her eyes. There’s so much more she can offer, especially when you offer her a titular role.

But unlike what happened with Mastani, this time everyone can see the emotions that riot in her eyes. It’s mind boggling how she emotes so much with her eyes alone. Love, pain, rage, disgust, pride – name the emotion and you see it in her eyes in this movie. In fact dialogues will fail to bring in the impact her eyes does. In that sense, Bhansali has exploited a different level of her talent here. Over all she’s a beauty, a shrewd woman capable of rising to the occasion, brave par excellence – in short a woman of substance. And by playing the notes right, she makes this film hers!

Other noteworthy performances are by Jim Sarbh, who apparently has the best opening scene in the film. He plays the role offered to him with a lethargic ease and it stands out just after the main leads. Another noteworthy performance was by the actor who played the role of Raghav Chetan. Also the elderly woman who loses her son on battlefield; though she appears briefly all through the film, her last intimate moment with Deepika makes you sit back and take note of her. Sadly, I don’t know the names of these actors as of now.

Shahid Kapoor tries his best in the role offered to him as Ratan Singh. But despite his talent and hard work he comes out as a miscast for Bhansali-school-of-acting. That doesn’t mean he delivers a bad performance. He has some of the best dialogues in the film and shines in his role but it gets faltered at places making it a not so smooth ride.

He holds his own, despite the contrast in acting style, when he comes face to face with Ranveer Singh. He also depicts a striking chemistry with Deepika despite the vanilla nature of their romance. He is offered the burden of glorifying the Rajput pride in the film to a large extent. Now seeing how the current descendants of Rajputs are attacking even children, you can’t actually digest their glorified depiction. Actually, I can’t help but say this that this Bhansali’s film is a tribute to the brave Rajput women, more than the men.

On that note comes the point discussed highly by intellectuals – glorification of Sati - a regressive practice of India which we must be ashamed of. A feminist angle is brought in by some as well. But even from a feminist point of view, this movie, especially the climax pays tribute to a woman’s courage in the wake of a danger; he exemplifies women empowerment with this film. It’s not the glorification of suicide but a decision made by a group of women, when the choices before them are, either to be exploited as slaves or die with their dignity intact. That one decision, as Padukone’s chatacter rightfully puts, turns one of the worst failures of Rajput history to their biggest victory ever. Where the men failed, the woman won!

When you try and juxtapose that incident to today’s age and time, it’s difficult to get a nod, appreciation is a far cry. But with aesthetical taste, Bhansali crafts out a climax worth watching, the peak point in the film and despite the drama or melodrama that unfolds, you can’t help but appreciate his mastery in the depiction of that scene.

What I said for Shahid Kapoor, goes for Anupriya Goenka who did a fabulous job in Tiger Zinda Hai. For the first time, a Bhansali casting doesn’t seem right.  Aditi Rao Hydari performs fairly though she doesn’t get to shine with a range of emotions. Despite having some nice seconds of the film to her credit, she doesn’t leave as much an impact. But it’s debatable too depending on individual perusal.

The visuals, vfx seem fine, but all said and done this is not the best work of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He is a magician, artist and filmmaker doled into one and when he does cinema, he offers a different cinematic experience. Though this film is no less, it is not as high as you expect from him, especially after a masterpiece like Bajirao Mastani. Or maybe it makes you wonder how much of his vision has been compromised, either at scripting stage or at the editing table or at the CBFC bench. You don’t feel the unabashedness of his cinema here and if you look deeper and are a keen observer of Bhansali films, you’ll see the restraint or pressure on him. His magic seems compromised, at least to me. It is not his best work, but we can’t rule out that it is one of his gems too. The vfx, sets, costumes and music effectively makes it one.

Before I conclude I can’t help but let this slip that film Padmaavat has had a marketing that has gone wrong or one that has been done too smartly and shrewdly. By posing it as a Deepika Padukone film, they ensured the success her brand value and stardom brings; plus by placing her at the centre of controversies they sneakly drew attention away from Khilji who actually takes the cake in the film. Smart move by Viacom and Slb Productions; but on some grounds, unfair to both actors.

Coming to the finale, despite the well known plot, the film does hold its own with a tout screenplay and brilliant dialogues. Prakash Kapadia deserves a mention for the dialogues. And when you leave the cinema halls, you take away an unforgettable performance by Ranveer Singh, Deepika’s powerful eyes that emote and haunt like no other and the splendid visuals. A must watch for the performances and last but not the least for what the Padmaavat team has gone through because of the politics in our country. As an Indian, we can answer the violence and injustice done by watching this film at your nearby theatres and by voting carefully in the next election.

Adhiti Aravind