User reviews

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Mangum-Opus 'Bajirao Mastani' finally arrives. Been in the news for more than a decade, this period piece, fortunately, is worth the wait. Its A Well-Made, Well-Acted Motion-Picture, that holds your attention at most times.

'Bajirao Mastani' narrates the story of the Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I of the Maratha Empire (Ranveer Singh) and his second wife Mastani (Deepika Padukone).

'Bajirao Mastani' is epically mounted & Bhansali has Directed the film with enviable ambition. The scale of the film is something to watch! The visual appeal is tremendous. But, what makes 'Bajirao Mastani' further more memorable, is its human-conflict between its primary characters. The relationship of Bajirao & Mastani is sharp, and even the relationship between Bajirao & his first wife Kashibai (Priyanka Chopra), is compelling. Watching the warrior torn between love, politics & religion, often grabs your attention. I was involved in Bajirao's quest to give his women the respect they deserve, despite the evil-heads who intended to ruin it.

Having said that, 'Bajirao Mastani' isn't without its share of blemishes. While the first-hour is arresting, the second-hour takes a dip & the pace drops. Also, the film overstays its welcome by a good 20-minutes, that certainly needed some trimming. A crisper & sharper second-hour would've only enhanced the overall impact!

The Screenplay is fierce, but undeniably romantic & emotionally charged. The characters are nicely written out & so are their interactions. But, the second-hour needed a stronger punch. Bhansali's Direction is Grand. Its pure ambition, on celluloid. And the accomplished Filmmaker has handled the film with precision. Cinematography is Magnificent. Editing is mostly good, but it needed to be sharper. Art & Costume Design are flawlessly done. Action-Sequences are fabulously executed. Bhansali's Score is enchanting.

Performance-Wise: Ranveer Singh is extraordinary Bajirao. The terrific actor sinks his teeth into the part & delvers a phenomenal performance. Right from his flawless Marathi diction, to his correctly done body-language, Ranveer scores a home-run. Deepika Padukone is wonderful as Mastani, portraying her part with complete honesty & understanding. Priyanka Chopra shines as Kashibai. She's in great form here. Tanvi Azmi as Radhabai, Bajirao's widowed mother, is electrifying. Its a pleasure to watch the veteran cast in a role that offers her scope to show her brilliance!

On the whole, 'Bajirao Mastani' is definitely worth a watch.

I went to see this film while my wife was at the ballet. I don't watch many Bollywood films, and usually the lighter kind, so I was coming to this film with almost no context. Also, to me, this was a foreign language, subtitled film so I missed any subtleties of language.

I really liked it. It was a true epic, wonderfully staged with seamless CGI and a consistent mellow look and feel to it. The leads (and lots of others) were really handsome/beautiful, and excellent actors. The dancing and singing was great and the story was well told. The costumes were sumptuous - Mughal miniatures come to life.

To an Australian this was of course an exotic film, so although it was slow there was always something to be looking at and wondering about. On the con side, the Hindu / Moslem theme was hammered home rather obviously, the Brahmin priests were one-dimensionally nasty, and (apart from one boatman) everything took place in a idyllic palace bubble - punctuated by a few battles.

However I would recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy an epic cinematic experience Indian-style.

Okay, one can expect exactly that with a Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The man sure knows his stuff when it comes to photography and even when something is lacking in the storytelling department, this remains an almost inconsequential detail by the end of the show. This was true for previous Bhansali productions, including Devdas, which was actually a good film in and of itself, while my personal favourite in this regard is probably Saawariya, which was so overwhelmingly stunning I could watch it anytime just for how beautiful it is to look at. Bajirao Mastani is an epic romance, and it definitely works in both story and execution, but it's not a tremendous show as it never really manages to tug at the heartstrings despite its strong story. I wish I could allow myself to get more involved in the story and feel more for the characters and their travails, but it didn't really happen, also probably due to the fact that it's an epic, distant and larger-than-life style of execution, but more because it lacked some depth here and there.

But again, the visuals, oh the visuals - Bhansali is a true craftsman in this regard, and no one can take it from him. The amazing setting, the props, cinematography, the lighting, the extraordinary, impeccable attention to detail, the symmetry, make for a visual treat the kind of which you rarely see. What about the film itself, you ask? Well, it's interesting and captivating, and the music is phenomenal as well. The three leads are really good, particularly Chopra who gets the meatiest part of a woman driven by jealousy, ego, in spite of which she finds room in her heart for compassion and forgiveness. Deepika is stunning, and Ranveer Singh is a good lead whose every expression is clearly carefully thought out before. It also has a phenomenal Tanvi Azmi whose every turn over the past decade has been impressive. At the end of the day, Bajirao Mastani provides viewers with exactly what they want - entertainment and aesthetic delight, and in this regard, the film is a delightful cinematic experience. Pure delight.

Seriously, I was expecting more from Deepika Padukone in Bajirao Mastani since she is one of the eponymous character in this movie and she can be called this generation's female Bollywood superstar no doubt after her brilliant outing in Piku and Tamasha. Sadly, Deepika failed to live up to my expectations. Her dialogue delivery is so weak in some scenes and her dance in the "rang do mohe lal" song just lacks the charm and grace. She seems like a complete misfit for the role of Mastani and looks too tall and modern to be able to carry off the royal look. Deepika just made me feel the need of the supremely talented Aishwarya Rai in many scenes. She just doesn't have varied expressions. Her last scene with her son where she tells him to go with the guards was supposed to melt our hearts. But sadly, it does not. Deepika just seems to be struggling with her emoting abilities. Also, her face when she gets out of a palanquin induces a laugh from audience. Wooden expression at its best! Surprisingly, it's Priyanka Chopra who stole the show from under Deepika's nose despite being a supporting (or is it?) character. Her confusion, anger and jealousy after learning of her husband and Mastani's (Deepika) love is really well etched. Priyanka seems to have developed a knack for stealing the show in every single movie of hers. With this movie, the stage is all set for Ranveer Singh to claim the throne of this generation's super star from the Khan trio. This guy is just something else. The way he masters the Marathi accent and the fight scenes is just wow! No one can be Bajirao other than Ranveer! He nails it like a pro. The only sore thumb of this movie is sadly Deepika Padukone! It's really sad how she ends up being overshadowed despite being the central character. Even Tanvi Azmi as Bajirao's mother gives a strong account of herself but Deepika simply fails to do so!

Another historical tale, a visually authentic one after 'Jodha Akbar'.

• Top class performances by all actors - Ranveer outclasses as Bajirao with his awesome acting, 10/10 marathi accent and accurate mannerisms.

• Priyanka is awesomely graceful and exhibits perfectly, insecurities and mixed emotions of Kashibai.

• Deepika aka Mastani looks breathtakingly beautiful in each frame and gives yet another class act after Tamasha

• War scenes have been shot well and look authentic

• Cinematography is classic and matches the grandeur of a SLB film

• Music is more marathi folk style. However, too many songs spoil the rhythm of otherwise well knit screenplay

• 2nd half is sluggish and dragged and this is where movie suffers

Overall its a visual treat for eyes and literally takes you to the medieval era of peshwas, an unexplored terrain in Bollywood so far.

Nice costumes, great cinematography and good music, lyrics and direction of the movie. Performance-wise: Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra followed by Deepika Padukone. Here are the ratings. Ranveer Singh: A; Priyanka Chopra: A; Deepika Padukone: B+; Overall, a great movie to watch. Ranveer Singh did his career-best performance. That was amazing to watch him prepare for and act as Bajirao. Priyanka Chopra completely eclipsed Deepika Padukone. Bhansali should have switched roles for PC and DP. PC is at her splendid best that showcased her acting brilliance. This was quite evident when the duo danced together. Overall, PC is a much better actor than DP in this movie. Deepika Padukone did whatever she could. Overall, a great movie to watch!!!

Ranveer acting was great direction and music was superb Deepika looking beautiful location screen great a must watch a movie for everyone in your life everything is great go watch... Priyanka Chopra, on the other hand, is the better performer of the two in this film. Priyanka's Kashibai loves her husband to death. Each time Priyanka looks at Ranveer Singh her face lights up like a brightly-lit skyline. When Bajirao falls in love with another woman Kashibai doesn't surrender to destiny. She is no walkover. She protests. She sneers. She is angry. But finally for the sake of her husband's happiness and the larger good, she accepts the situation. Kashibai teaches us the most important lesson of this film. Acceptance of injustice is sometimes the opposite of cowardice. Priyanka conveys all these emotions with near-flawless comprehension of her character's inner world. This is her best to date.

This is undoubtedly one of the better movies to come out of Bollywood this year. And that's saying something, since this year is almost at its end. Tremendous acting from Ranveer's Peshwa Bajirao. This is a pure work of fiction, with some borrowed historical elements. However, Bhansali manages to recreate a believable world, and the actors back him up. Being a musical, the music is from the director himself, and suits the movie. Priyanka as Kashi Bai, and Deepika as Mastani also give no cause for complaints. But Bhansali is getting repetitive with the endings in his movies. No spoilers, but it's always great to watch something new, and not to go to the movie hoping it would not play out like some other movie :(

The Story, Overview and Music:

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back with his 12 years old dream he nurtured like a baby titled as 'Bajirao Mastani', which is Bollywood's magnum opus and a reply to Tollywood's Bahubaali. Enthralling from beginning to end, the movie doesn't contain a single boring moment which is a huge plus point for its genre which can often be cumbersome and boring. And that can be large attributed to the visual aesthetics. Each and every frames are picture-perfect shots. From the very opening credits, you know that you are going to travel into a divine universe unraveling the 500 years ago's history (the 1700's). The sets and art direction are so well crafted, huge and super grand. Visual poetry on screen. Kudos to the set designers. The costumes, before describing, I would love to salute Anju Modi (costume designer) and Sanjay's vision of the past. Yes, they have rendered their imagination into a visual bonanza indeed. Ornamental is the perfect word. Every color that was picked for the costumes reflected a mood in addition to visual appeal. Applause! The cinematography is par excellence. The screenplay is multi- dimensional. It leaves you thirsty to know more. The background score is the "cherries on the cake". It is soothingly melodious in romantic scenes while explosive in war scenes. The action and the wars are new in Bollywood. First time a movie from Indian has excelled in such scenes. And the dialogues are a marvel. Very few films get you hooked up by its dialogues and Bajirao Mastani is one of them. There are many lines you will take home: the 'Guroor' one is pure cinematic and the 'Cheete ki chaal,..' is beautifully written and used cleverly. As for the music, the album has 10 tracks and SLB as the music director has done a magnificent job. The album is a beautiful blend of Marathi folk and Persian/Muslim influences. So, technically, the film is far superior than any Hindi movie I have seen in the last decade or so. The introductory portions in which they narrate the Peshwa's conquests using semi- animation/CGI were brilliantly performed. It's definitely one of the best of 2015. You are simply left mesmerized. You really are! The story of the film, I'll leave it for you to catch. I won't be a spoiler. I will just say that it is surely a love- triangle but one with a big difference.

Star Performances:

Ranveer Singh as the Peshwa Bajirao Ballad.- He is unbelievably good. Looks, body language, Maratha accent, physical strength in the war scenes. Hats off. I was skeptical about Malhari but it fits perfectly fine. His eyes spoke so many feelings. The anger, the love, the guilt, the passion, the pride, simply a WOW. I have always believed he's got a stupendous amount of untapped talent, and boy does this movie bring out the crazy range of acting skills that he possesses. He hit the right notes at all points. Mark my word, his performance shall make you a fan if you are not. This goes as his career best performance. He should win all 'Best Actor' awards for this. Deepika Padukone as the warrior princess is a marvel. She is beautiful, charming and stuns in songs like Deewani Mastani (I heart heart emoticon her in that). Her restrained half-Persian nuanced acting seemed to jump out less. Her character is one-dimensional. That's the minus point. Her biggest weakness being her poor kathak and you will feel sometimes in war scenes, she just lacked it and in romantic scenes, she went quite below par. Maybe due to parallel filming. She is undoubtedly a treat to watch but is overshadowed by Ranveer and Priyanka in acting. Nevertheless, she gives a remarkable performance but not her best. Priyanka Chopra as the Peshwin Queen Kashibai – *Breathe* Kashi was the most complex character of the film. It's an arc immensely enjoyable act at the same time heart- breaking. Kashibai might be an image of helplessness but it takes such strength for a woman to respect and protect the other woman your man fell in love with. Priyanka Chopra is terrific, her intelligently expressive eyes speaking volumes, she stood out in her Marathi intonations and prosody. Her no- nonsense Marathi rhythm was bang-on. Her each expression is layered with a thousand emotions, her dialogue delivery is pitch perfect and even in her dance her footwork is crisp and nimble. She crossed expectations in the film. She gets your eyes teary and your heart in pain. Her scenes are the highlights of the film and she owns them. In confrontation scene with Deepika where she goes "Dil? Kaisa dil?" gives you goosebumps. She knows her husband loves Mastani but she loves her husband. She can't hate him. The day she married Bajirao, she swore to support her man in his all decisions that make him happy. She knows her husband is no longer hers yet she doesn't want to lose him. The 'Guroor' scene where she calls her husband and tells him to go with his second wife is the scene of the year. In the climax, she comes to her ill husband but the latter calls her Mastani in hallucination and at that very moment you can feel her. She is devastated yet she pleases her husband by acting like Mastani. The lovers Bajirao and Mastani die but it is Kashi who is left behind all alone in pain. She takes forward the journey and raises Mastani's son as hers together with her two other sons. Priyanka's Kashi is so vivid that Deepika's Mastani pales in her comparison. In short, Priyanka Chopra has given a lifetime performance. You won't believe that the same Ranveer-Priyanka who played siblings in Dil Dhadakne Do have given such a soaring chemistry as husband-wife. Watch out for their love making scene. It's HOT. At the end Ranveer stands out, Deepika shines but Priyanka outshines. She leaves a legacy behind.

Watched Bajirao Mastani. Must say I was disappointed. Not because the movie was bad. By any standard of cinematography and direction, it was tremendously beautiful, but then which SLB's movie isn't? Perhaps I had raised the bar for it in my mind too high?

Here's my gripe with the movie: 1. Editing: very shoddy. Scenes just jumped around with little to no transition. There seem to be two stories told in the movie, the triangle love story and the battles. There was no fluidity in the editing between the two. 2. Bajirao and Mastani: in terms of acting, everyone did a good job. However, I felt like I have seen Deepika as Mastani in other movies as well. She was really good but I wanted to see a phenomenal performance (high expectations). Ranvir's acting is probably his career best but it still falls short in a few scenes. Some of it looks forced and tedious. Coming to the characters of these two, it's hard to like a movie and connect with it when you don't feel empathy for the leading characters. The two love struck characters are clearly shown in grey. It is difficult to feel sorrow for the ailing couple when you know that their affair has caused pain to a loving wife. This made me most uncomfortable. When the narrator proclaimed their love as eternal, it didn't resonate with me as their love was infidelity on Bajirao's part. 3. Unnecessary songs: SLB has a knack for incorporating beautiful, visually stimulating songs into his movies. This one is no exception. However, there are a couple of songs like Pinga and Bajirao and boys' celebratory song which stuck out like a sore thumb in terms of placement in the movie. 4. Rushed ending: don't want to get into details and spoil the ending but it looked like SLB was tired of 12 years of thinking and making the movie and he just ended it. 5. Striking similarity to Devdas and a little bit of Jodhaa Akbar: this one may just be me, partly because Devdas is one of my favorite movies of all time and also because I have watched it more than a dozen times. BM has so many similar themes as Devdas. Take the premise of two women longing for love of their man (I agree this is a pretty common theme), the ethereal dialogues, the widowed mother who seems to be a thorn in B and M's love saga, the choreographed duet song-dance spectacle with Mastani and Kashibai, the eventual fall into intoxication of Bajirao (there's even a scene with him in water very much like Devdas towards the end), war strategy inspired by Jodhaa Akbar, the mirror hall song reminds me of maar dala and kaahe ched, etc.

Having said all the above, I still think it is a good movie, just not SLB's best.

Watch it for Priyanka's brilliant acting as the forgotten Kashibai in a small but significant role. She delivers her lines in full flow, tugs at your heartstrings and makes you feel her pain. Watch it for a beautiful coming together of spectacular costumes and set design, grand music and choreography, larger than life dialogues and theme. Watch it for the movie it is, just don't believe the hype or you're bound to be disappointed. 3/5.

Bollywood reached its cinematic greatness in Bajirao. The sequence, the camera work and story telling at its best. All the actors' performance were notable. Very well put together. Bajirao Mastani just set new standards in Bollywood industry. Nothing recent comes close.

This is probably Sanjay Leela Bhansali's most epic and gorgeous movies. Almost perfection in depicting the period in which the movie is set. Plus points of the movie is led by Priyanka Chopra(unexpectedly), Deepika Padukone and Tanvi Azmi. Side roles by Milind Suman was also very well done. Now the thing about Ranveer Singh is that you can see him trying really hard to portray the warrior but it comes off as just an act and that is why it does not seem convincing. There are glimpses of brilliance but most of the time he ends up trying too hard. I will give kudos for his trying to do his best but I really thing Hrithik Roshan would have been a much better casting for the role of Bajirao.

The movie is a must watch on the big screen especially if you like period dramas and a fan of SLB's style of movies

this movie helps restore the fast depleting hopes with Bollywood movies. The passion with which this movie is made shines through some class acts from each involved. the animation and sets allow a submerging experience. Ranveer offers a brilliant performance and a very promising future. His accented Hindi and well pronounced Marathi complete him in his role as Bajirao.

Deepika and Priyanka are best fits in their roles and don't feel off track even for a bit. Priyanka does a good job of conveying with her expressions more than her words. The placement of songs is done nicely.

a must watch for all moviegoers and history enthusiasts. the movie leaves us all with a good message at the end.

There is a dialogue in the movie, "From now on people will remember Bajirao Mastani in history" There are constant self-professed claims throughout the movie of how their love is going to be immortalized. Having watched the movie and then reading a quick blurb of the history of these star-crossed lovers it turns out that they were real people and Bajirao really did love Mastani and built a palace for her(like Shahjahan for Mumtaaz) and he really did come at loggerheads with the people of his own faith. The problem is on celluloid, the manner in which their love story has been presented is so stylized, artificial and choreographed, that I did not believe it was real. I was actually convinced by the end of the movie that it was all fictional and could not possibly have been real.

So what went wrong? The problem is Bhansali's own self-indulgences overpower the real life story of Baijaro Mastani. Bhansali is notorious for his indulgences in Devdas, Saawariya, Black and Guzzarish, but I have always forgiven him for those indulgences and recognized the works of art he created. But since Ram Leela he has really fallen in his art and his indulgences are becoming gratingly apparent. In this movie he pays homage to his own movies in the lavish musical numbers, 'Kahe Ched Mohe' and 'Dola re Dola" from Devdas, and this in itself is not problematic, what is problematic he lifted the same choreography styles, the same camera angles and movements, and in the case of 'Pinga' the same situation that leads to the song, of the two leading ladies meeting in a dramatic confrontation and then agreeing to celebrate a religious festival together dancing for the man they both love. But the difference here is, while in Devdas Paro forgives Chandramukhi, here Kashi and Mastani's resentment for each other remains. Furthermore, in Dola re Dola, the impropriety of a courtesan and an aristocrat coming together in dance caused a controversy and uproar, and here nobody bats an eye lid. And in this situation the backstory, the tension and the controversy of Kashi and Mastani dancing together was was much more intense, so it surprises me why Bhansali just glossed it all over. I can sympathize why the Peshwa descendants and historians are protesting. It was not necessary Mr Bhansali, not only did you mutilate history, but it was totally out of character.

The other indulgences Bhansali makes that ruins the story is in he how paces, directs and scripts the the meetings of Bajirao and Mastani. He is trying to make every meeting, every glance, every word shared sound like Shakespearean poetry and to enhance the profundity, many of their shots are in slow motion and the actors emote with the precision of a puppet. From the moment Bajirao and Mastani meet to the dramatic climax, I did not at once find their love story believable. They were supposedly in love from first sight, a classic trope of stories of star crossed lovers. I think one of the reasons why it did not feel it was real, was because of Bhansali the filmmaker wanting to make his presence felt in every beat.

I consider Bhansali to be one of the best directors in Bollywood, because he has his own unique signature aesthetic that is felt in his movies, every shot is immaculately designed, choreographed, lit and scored. Every sequence shows his craftsmanship. He even matches them to the mood, dialogue, sets and costumes. This is a hallmark of a great filmmaker, but when overdone, it is like seeing the mirrors during a magicians disappearing act. In this movie as a craftsman he exceeds himself -- oh what beautiful sumptuous imagery, gorgeous lighting, epic camera work, brilliant use of CGI. I had no idea Bhansali had such a deft handle on CGI. I found it even better than Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' the few war sequences looked much more realistic and polished. If you compare the volley of arrows sequences side by side from both movies, Bhansali's will come up trumps. Technically, this movie is the best Indian production to date. Bahubali part 2 is going to have a high standard to beat.

Ranvir Singh, Deepika and Priyanka give it their all, and while proportionately Deepika and Ranvir get the most screen time, it is Priyanka that emerges the most competent actor, because her acting is more natural. I felt her character the most, in particular when she confronts Bajirao and says "I gave you my all, but you took away my pride" Priyanka nails every beat. Ranvir and Deepika, poor things were overshadowed by Bhansali's own indulgences. Still, Ranvir is able to overcome this in the war sequences. Ranvir seems to be a natural in any boisterous scene, whether it is a war dance or an angry battle.

Overall: Mr Bhansali the craftsman exceeds Mr Bhansali the storyteller.

Once again Sanjay Leela Bhansali aims for a Shakespearean Tragedy of Epic proportions and once again he falls short by some distance. Having said that, there is no denying that ‪‎Bajirao Mastani‬ is the definitive cinematic spectacle of the year as far as Hindi cinema is concerned.

The majestic sets, glittering costumes and swashbuckling performances add up quite well. Perhaps, making the moving in 3D would have been a good choice. Playing the legendary Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao, Ranveer Singh delivers the finest performance of his career. The way he takes care of his mannerisms and his Marathi accent in particular is really commendable.

As for Deepika Padukone, she has never looked prettier on the celluloid. Credit to Bhansali for looking after her leading lady so well. Priyanka Chopra playing the second fiddle to Padukone is solid as ever.

Despite all its merits Bajirao Mastani may leave some cold owing its rather sombre tone, languorous pacing and lengthy runtime. While it may not to the epic that it aims to be, it certainly deserves to be watched.

For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

Bajirao Mastani is sheer brilliance! An epic film that leaves you wanting for more.Realism as a word and theme remains obsolete in the exquisitely crafted world of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's fantasies.Visuals are elephantine.his characteristic style narrates his version of the story in a Mughal-e-azamesque scale of grandiosity, replete with breathtakingly beautiful sets (by Bhansali, Sujit Sriram and Saloni) elaborate and well thought of costumes and accessories (by Anju Modi) and dreamy cinematography. music, screenplay, acting, dialogues and the beautiful story of 3 complex characters - everything is magnificent and spectacular! This movie is poetry in motion, easily one of the most epic tales in Indian history being translated in such a classy yet relatable manner on screen! Each scene and each dialogue gets the viewers completely hooked! People were involved and taken back into the 18th century - such was the appeal of the movie! Ranveer is unbelievable & superlative as Bajirao. Priyanka chopra is amazing & Deepika padukone is just wow! This was your most nuanced performance till date !! Excellent .. !!

So when did we become a society that roots for cheating couple? Religion and class aside, the basic premise of the film is rooted in adultery. Mastani can call it love, ibaadat, ishq, mohabbat; at the end of the day she forced herself onto Bajirao and his family and 'stole' Kashi's man. Can you really blame the family for getting ticked off? Baji had many chances to stop her advances in their tracts but he was smitten by her and cheated on Kashi. Why have they been treated as heroes and glorify for them for close to 3 hours? Unless we have accepted polygamy as the norm, this movie is a no go from the start. The only reason this is more than a 1/10 is the stunning visuals and cinematography.