Bajirao Mastani movie review

Bajirao Mastani (BaMa) is a successful attempt to illustrate a larger than life portrait using a free hand abstraction. Visual presentation on the scale of Raja Ravi Verma’s grandeur artsy style coupled with a Picasso’s free strokes abstraction. Marathi Bakhar and Powada were all presented in the magnanimous style of presentation. SLB has done ditto to this art, going by his strength and skill.

Kamal Amrohi wanted to make Bajirao Mastani, Manmohan Desai tried it. Muzaffar Ali almost enrolled Big B, Rekha and Smita Patil. SLB himself wanting to work on this script for 12 years. I am not disappointed with his attempt to recreate the lost glory and historic piece of the great Marathas. Just can’t imagine Bajirao done by Salman or SRK. Ranveer Singh looks solid within a limitation of a script.

Every frame is grand, every color is artfully picked, every lighting piece is uniquely positioned, and every dialogue stems off an orator’s literary pitch. BaMa is a magnifying, stunning and artful treat of color, lights and sound.

You better know, that to know a history, the right place is a book store or library and not a Bollywood movie theatre. Plug that mind-set and I guarantee that you will love this drama presentation.

India is familiar about Prithviraj Chauhan, Maha Rana Pratap, Shahenshah Akbar and Chhatrapati Shivaji but not Bajirao in that likes. He stands tallest in this order in maneuvering large scale army expeditions on a largest political platform. Making his job difficult, he was dealing with similar religious and caste zealots that still exists in our current times. 

Battle of Dabhai (April, 1731): One of biggest missing pieces of SLB’s BaMa was a Trimbakrao Dabhade, the commander in chief of the Maratha Army. Dabhade rebelled against Chhatrapati Shahu while forming a largest antagonist’s clout along with Nizam and Bhosale from Kolhapur. This event entrusted a launching pad and the first test for Peshwa’s hold on Maratha Army. Without winning this battle, Bajirao would have never been successful and neither his king Shahu. Thereafter Senapati (Commander in chief) became just a titular command while Peshwa held all pros of powers in the likes of today’s India’s parliamentary system where President holds just a title and PM executes all power.(ref: page 258 https://archive.org/stream/historyofmaratha02kincuoft/historyofmaratha02kincuoft_djvu.txt)

Personally, I enjoyed this movie and admiringly indebted to SLB for bringing Bajiaro out of lost pages of history books. This could be a new start to Indian cinema where portraying historic legendaries will be new found formula and the day won’t be far when someone like SLB creates a spirited cinema on none other than Bajirao’s inspiration and my most favorites of history – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I wish, I had a connection to the likes of Benioff and Weiss, Apted, Scott, Gibson, Howard and Spielberg. RGV?

You must see Bajirao! Entire starcast has done fantastic job. However, its Kashibai from Priyanka Chopra who will just linger with you for long time. In her rightful limited space, she has delivered a stunning performance. I will own Blueray for her Peshwin Bai.