Thursday, March 8, 2018

Movie Review: Padmaavat

A 2.5 years movie drought was finally broken with the much awaited and one of the most controversial movies of recent times - Padmaavat. First of all, when I say movie drought, I mean, I had gone to watch a movie on the big screen after roughly 2.5 years. In 4.5 years, 2 movies.

I was pleasantly surprised when last Friday Mr. Husband proposed the idea to go for this movie and I made sure that he pre-book the tickets by constantly reminding him...errrr... actually nagging him. But who cares. I finally forced him to book the tickets.

This movie had been in the controversy right from the time SLB started its shooting. He was attacked by a community who somehow knew that he is demeaning their community with his movie. How did they know it when the movie was not even shot? Never mind about it… The movie is ready for release with the name Padmavati and one of its songs has already become a chart buster, maximum number of watches on YouTube within few hours of launch and the community declares war. Buses are torched, people are attacked, open threats are given to the leading lady and what not. Finally, the movie is banned in a couple of states even after the Supreme Court ruling. 

I did not really understand the core reason for the outrage. One thing which I heard or so I understood was that this movie demean the community. If that at all was the reason, after watching the movie, I think this is one of those movies which instead glorified that community for their courage, valor and the values which they stand by even when they face death.

Anyway. Since I don't know the exact reason for all this, I should rather not comment on it. So. Back to the movie review.

Large Scale. Beautiful Costumes. Melodious music after many years (except Khalibali). Fantastic acting by Ranveer Singh. A feast for eyes - Beautifully choreographed Ghoomar song. 

For a movie and sleep deprived mom of a toddler, stepping into the movie theatre itself was a feast. I think I might have even loved Humshakals movie in the given circumstances. Btw, this does not mean that I will ever watch that terrible movie but I was just trying to give you an idea about my happiness. Since past many weeks, I, my daughter and Mr. Husband had been a fan of Ghoomar song and my daughter's first ever stage performance (during a wedding) was also on this very song. So. It was special and I must say that when the song finally happened on the screen, I was not at all disappointed and I got a "paisa wasool" kind of feeling just by watching that song and my daughter watched it with her mouth open. After the song, for her, the movie had finished and we should go back home, unless there were pop corns to eat.

Shahid Kapoor - I think he was looking suitable for the role till he was romancing Deepika and have not encountered Ranveer Singh and had not delivered the heavy weight "wo Rajput" dialogues. Lot of times I felt that the poor guy had to stretch himself more than his height to (a) match up with Deepika's height and (b) to carry those heavy costumes, especially the final fight scene [for a war, that was definitely not a very convenient costume]. Replace him with Hrithik would have justified the role but then he would have over shadowed Ranveer Singh, which definitely did not look like SLB's intention. So, with that, I think he looked good in few places but really unconvincing that he could actually have guts to marry two ladies and run a Kingdom!!!

Deepika Padukone - Did anyone notice, she did not have many dialogues? I will say it again. Though major adulation should be for the choreographer of the Ghoomar song but she did show a great screen presence. Something which I didn't understand. She belonged to Singhal (somewhere in Sri Lanka). Married a Rajasthani Rajput and within only few days learnt Ghoomar, the Rajasthani language, Rajputs' aan-baan-aur-shaan nuances and even knew what a Jouhar is... I have been married for 8 years now and on many occasions I still feel that probably I have not understood my family and the rituals. But, probably she was madly and deeply in LOVE with her King.
Whatever high pitched dialogues she had, I must say, made me laugh. Nice costumes. She looked good. Loved her and wanted to stop her when she was running into the fire but then I thought, why stop. She is looking good as she is not talking. Let her go. 

Poor 1st wife of Shahid Kapoor. She did not even get a single scene with her husband. I am no one to comment on that culture during those days - marry many times as and when you either fall in love with a random girl or you have "won" the girl - but I would kill my husband if he marries another girl while I am still his wife and alive. How can a husband simply wash out from his mind that he is married and has a wife back home? Anyway. I can understand the frustration of the 1st wife - not even one shot with her on-screen husband, forget about any romantic scenes.

Ranveer Singh - The Star of the movie. Barbaric. Someone to be hated immensely. Dark. Can't think of anyone else to replace him. Many people don't like him but I think as an actor, he is a "chupa rustom"... He played a typical Delhi awaara boy in his debut film and played a suave rich spoilt boy in Dil Dhadakne Do. And now, a barbaric, throne hungry fighter. I like him. The most convincing actor in this movie. 

Overall, the climax scene was a bit stretched but since it was the highlight of the movie, can't blame it. Beautifully shot. Even though I knew what is going to happen but still pushed me on the edge of my seat to actually see how it will be shown. If it was a true event in the History, just to think about it gives goosebumps on my hands. 

Another thing which I didn't agree with - the time. The enemy is at your door step and you calmly decides to celebrate Diwali. He is still at your door step and you also celebrate Holi - these two festivals are at least 5-6 months apart. No other King or guest visited you in these 6 months? Neither did you go out to ask for help after your fellow Kings refused your message sent with your messenger just once? Again. The next time, enemy comes back at your door step and then you decide to do some Pooja and goat sacrifice. When you had already invited your enemy to come and fight with you whenever he is ready, why did you not do any special planning with some heavy duty arsenals? You had time in your hand. 

Finally, you come down on the war field. You have your army with you. You knew that your enemy does not follow any rules or ethics and your wife and kingdom are at stake and yet you go ALONE to fight him? When Shahid Kapoor is shot with arrows, why did his army also not kill his enemy with arrows? He was unarmed and not facing them... Oh, the "war ethics"... 

I would say, a one-time watch on the big screen only to enjoy the larger than life scale of the movie, beautiful costumes, Ghoomar song, Ranveer Singh and the finale scene for Jouhar. On lot of other parameters, did not quite match the expectations. But as I said, being a movie and sleep deprived mom, this movie was like a treat....