When one walks in to watch a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, they know what bar to set for their expectations. The grandeur of the sets, the costumes, the camerawork, and the direction, as always, is spot on. The story of Padmaavat, relatively simple, as that of Bajirao Mastani and Ram Leela, has been the fixation of some violent groups who claim that the movie demeans a particular community. Well, surprise! It does not. Padmaavat has rare instances of underlying mocking of the Rajputs, given how certain aspects were stressed, but it is not insulting in any manner. Instead, it uncloaks an aspect most filmmakers have shied away from (more on this later). So without wasting anymore moment, here’s my review for Padmaavat!
Padmaavat Review: The Performances
Deepika Padukone is going to win all the awards again. She is menacing, to say the least, and for a movie that is otherwise average and even distracting and disengaged in most parts, she takes the best part of the cake away in the climax. Ranveer Singh is great, playing the obnoxious, repelling, and lustful Khilji, and it will take a special performance from Bollywood to keep him away from the awards in 2019. Jim Sarbh as Malik Kafur has the best entry in the movie, and some of the best lines too. Aditi Rao goes unnoticed for a major part of the movie, until the last scene where she lets her eyes do the talking. Shahid Kapoor is a miscast. Make no mistake, he is a fine actor, but somehow, he is a miscast here. He does well with whatever he has been given, but there are actors who could have done more with the same role; Randeep Hooda for instance.
Padmaavat Review: The Letdowns
Coming to the let downs, the music being the biggest one. I am appalled by the absence of a single memorable track in a SLB movie. The first-half of the movie is literally Bajirao Mastani in parts. Narrative is stringed together weekly, disrupted by songs that make no sense whatsoever, including the one choreographed on Jim Sarbh and Ranveer Singh in a bathtub. It’s ridiculous. A song is no way to portray an underlying current of homosexuality.
Padmaavat Review: What stood out
What stood out for me was the climax of this movie. In my entire row, everyone was on the edge of their seats, even when the end was clear to one and all. It is beautifully written and directed, and makes you forget, momentarily, how cringeworthy the movie was in parts.
Padmaavat Review: Should you watch it?
You can watch this movie for its unconventional end, or even skip it. It’s an average movie with a grand climax that leaves you with some difficult questions.
Padmaavat Review: A Running Commentary of how I watched it
This is what I love about Chandigarh. Hell can break loose for a movie but no one here will care unless of course it’s a Roadies audition. I have come for the first show of #Padmaavat at @_PVRCinemas.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
OMG! The protests have started here too, led by a lady. However, she is angry about the stale popcorn. What else she was expecting at 9 in the morning? #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The good thing about watching a 9AM show; PVR starts the movie on time, none from Karni Sena wakes up this early to protest against a movie starring Ranveer Singh, and you don’t have to break your FDs for popcorn because they are stale. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
First things first, this distorted movie is based on a distorted poem composed 237-Years after the siege of Chittor by a poet in the era of Sheh Shah Suri. So, no point looking or correcting any historical inaccuracies that will be a part of the movie. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Things would have been a lot easier for SLB had he been truthful about the movie being based on the poem #Padmaavat and not on an event in the history of Chittor. The Jauhar and siege did occur, but the context chosen by SLB is closer in relevance to the poem than actual events.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
@_PVRCinemas will start a movie on time the day @OfficeOfRG wins a National Election, which means never. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The film disclaimer is missing an Oxford comma. Waiting for Karni Sena to attack a grammar teacher for this. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The prince/king (not specified yet) had to travel himself thousands of miles to fetch a few pearls because his wife was angry. Now I understand how the Maha CM must be feeling after watching the #PhirSe music video. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
How Deepika scores in ever SLB movie? Just pierce the hero with anything sharp. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The movie is not even remotely close to Bahubali in splendour. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Look, there is a rapid fire round too as SLB’s tribute to Karan Johar.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
This is just Bajirao Mastani all over again. Literally, some of the characters, dialogues, and scenes look an upgrade from that movie. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Jim Sarbh gets the best entry in #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Unlike some of previous SLB movies, this one is not engaging, it’s not even captivating as the CGI and camerawork looks redundant in places. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The Arijit Singh song in the movie is as misplaced as Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The songs distort an already distorted narration and kills the seamlessness that has been instrumental to the success of many SLB movies. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
IMHO, Shahid Kapoor is a miscast here. Randeep Hooda would have been far better, as a few already pointed out after watching the trailer. Deepika and Jim Sarbh are fun to watch. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Itihaas apne panne badal sakta hai, par Rajput apne asool nahi. Finally, a line that is applause worthy. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
In all honesty, the delay in release will do more good to this otherwise average movie. Barring a couple of actors, the entire act looks forced, stitched together to form a narrative that is cloaked in splendour to be sold as a grand weekend movie. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
No idea what Karni Sena was angry about, but then they are an output of the Congress so that’s that. This movie, up till now, has not been demeaning to any community. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Bahubali had far greater special effects, and given this movie has been made for 200-Crores, one wishes SLB diverted some money from the jewellery expenditure towards CGI. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Why you should protest against #Padmaavat?
Because @shreyaghoshal has only one song in the entire movie. Just one!
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Karni Sena protesting against this movie is like MSG followers protesting movies starring MSG, just that the pacification of the former is justified to an extent. Rajputs cannot be singled out due to one battle or event. They are instrumental to the cumulative history of India
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Yep, now people are just mocking the overacting. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
It’s a shame that the background score is not a part of the album. It is splendid. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Here’s another song, another reminder of how similar is this move to Bajirao Mastani in parts. This one feels like an Arvind Kejriwal extempore on Economics. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Khilji was a pious man, and his religion wasn’t too accommodating to music in those times. Just saying.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Valour is not in swords alone, but principles too, and women have been a testament to this fact at various instances in history across the world. Thankfully, this movie takes note of that. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Someone please give Jim Sarbh an award already. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
From Khamoshi to Devdas to Saawariya to Bajirao, each SLB movie had tracks that are a part of our playlists years later even. This one does not have any.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The movie captures the barbaric nature of the invaders during the era of Delhi Sultanate. Shahid Kapoor gets a way better exit than the one he got in Rangoon. Meanwhile, Rani Padmavati takes it on from here.
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The climax of the movie makes up for the otherwise average narration. Deepika Padukone is menacing. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
The pros: Deepika, Jim, Ranveer and Aditi (in her last scene), movie’s climax.
The cons: Barring a few scenes, the movie borderlines unbearable and cringeworthy. It’s not going to be as memorable as Devdas was. Not even remotely close to what Bahubali-1 was. #Padmaavat— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
Will gross close to 200-Crores, however, and tell you what, there were some people who applauded at the climax, so let’s be open to all school of thoughts here. Karni Sena, you are protesting for nothing, and that’s the end of thread. #Padmaavat
— Tushar (@tushjain15) January 25, 2018
