muska
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Posts: 4,930 
Favorite actor: Shashi Kapoor, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Fawad Khan
Favorite actress: Madhuri, Sridevi, Rekha, Nandita Das, Tabu, Waheeda Rehman, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone
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Post by muska on Dec 18, 2015 0:48:18 GMT
 A few reviews: Pinkvilla review - 70% out of 100. Overall thoughts about the film: "Its gimmicks, its indulgence, its flaws, all blend in by the time the end credits roll. The sweeping visuals, the distracting tapestry, the engaging love story and the unapologetic, unabashed love for the celluloid is what makes Bajirao Mastani haunting. Bajirao Mastani is monumental... Every line has a dialogue polished with care, every shot a dream you are bound to love. SLB has never been this earnest and that's enough to forgive all his aiyashis he has subjected us to. This one is just Mohabbat...straight from the heart." The New York Times review
Masala! review - Overall thoughts about the film: "The film is a good one-time watch. The first half had me strapped to my seats. It was well paced. The second half got way too weepy and self-indulgent. Also the film shows two sons born roughly around the same time grow at different paces. One of them grows into a teenager sporting a muchchi while the other one is barely reaching his mom’s knees. Complan boy, we wonder?! If you gush calling Bhansali an artist, his movies oh-so-beautiful, sheer poetry and all that, then Bajirao Mastani won’t disappoint!" Koimoi review - 3.5 out of 5 stars. Overall thoughts: "Watch it if you want to restore your faith in love stories.Forget history, this film is full of chemistry that is so pure that it is heart-warming to experience it. For all its grandeur and Bhansali’s years of dedication, the film is a sure a one-time watch." NDTV review (this one contains spoilers) - 3 out of 5 stars India Today review - 3.5 out of 5 stars. Overall thoughts about the film: "In all, Bajirao Mastani is an experience. And one that needs to be savoured in a theatre." Scroll review - Overall thoughts about the film: "Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sumptuous retelling of the legend is strong on romance but weak on statecraft." The Indian Express review - 1.5 out of 5 stars. Overall thoughts: "But soon enough, you tire of all the showiness. The grandiosity wears off. You long for a genuinely moving, exciting story, featuring all these beautiful people, all actors able to pull off characters, but buried under their mounds of clothes, mouthing dialogue. ‘Bajirao Mastani’ had the potential to be a terrific historical. What it ends up being is a costume drama: too many costumes, too much revved-up, empty drama, and too little story." Hindustan Times review - 2.5 out of 5 stars. Overall thoughts: "If you appreciate Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s opulence and grandeur, this won’t disappoint. It can be a good one-time watch, for Deepika’s performance, if not anything else." The Times of India review - 4 out of 5 stars. IBN Live review - 3 out of 5 stars. IB Times UK review - 3 out of 5 stars. IB Times India review (contains spoilers) - 4 out of 5 stars. Huffington Post India review
Rediff review - 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Another) Rediff review - 2 out of 5 stars. DNA India review - 4 out of 5 stars. |
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muska
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Posts: 4,930
Favorite actor: Shashi Kapoor, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Fawad Khan
Favorite actress: Madhuri, Sridevi, Rekha, Nandita Das, Tabu, Waheeda Rehman, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone
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Post by muska on Dec 19, 2015 5:31:11 GMT
I saw this movie a few hours ago, and overall I liked it. Here are my thoughts: Positives- The music (Aayat and Mohe Rang Do Laal were my favorites)
- The visuals
- The acting (everyone did a great job, including the supporting cast)
- Kashibai scenes
Negatives- I honestly did not like Bajirao and Mastani's relationship. It was an adulterous relationship, and I ended up feeling so bad for Kashibai that I simply could not root for Bajirao and Mastani.
- The plot was lacking
- Some parts were executed a little sloppy. For example, Kashibai and Mastani both give birth to their sons around the same time period, and yet later in the film, Kashibai's son is a teenager and Mastani's son is still a small child. It didn't make sense to me.
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NewLaura
Dancing in the chorus
Posts: 28
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Post by NewLaura on Dec 20, 2015 3:22:14 GMT
I always love the visual beauty of SLB's films, but there is usually something about the tone or something that I dislike/hate in each one. I liked this one unreservedly. - Some parts were executed a little sloppy. For example, Kashibai and Mastani both give birth to their sons around the same time period, and yet later in the film, Kashibai's son is a teenager and Mastani's son is still a small child. It didn't make sense to me.
The way I understood it, Nana (the teenage boy who imprisons Mastani at the end) was not the son born at the same time as Mastani's son. Nana, the older son, was shown earlier in the film before Bajirao wed Mastani (I think he had been sent to live in the court and that was where we saw him, when Bajirao went there to report on his victory; Nana returns to Pune later in the film). Kashibai's younger son who was born at the same time as Mastani's son disappeared from the story, other than that scene where Bajirao was outside with both boys, and Bajirao's mother came up to them and blessed him (and then half-heartedly blessed Mastani's son). Kashibai does mention him by name once or twice. |
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muska
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Posts: 4,930
Favorite actor: Shashi Kapoor, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Fawad Khan
Favorite actress: Madhuri, Sridevi, Rekha, Nandita Das, Tabu, Waheeda Rehman, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone
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Post by muska on Dec 20, 2015 4:32:45 GMT
Oh ok, thank you for clearing that up NewLaura. I think my confusion arose from not spotting Nana earlier in the film. I wonder what happened to Raghunath later on in the film then.
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lydia
Junior artiste
Posts: 58
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Post by lydia on Dec 21, 2015 7:36:05 GMT
Very good film. Some reviewers have had issues with the ending. I loved it. It gave the film a mythical feel and although very different in tone, reminded me of the ending of Jodha Akbar. Sort of just crystallized the whole thing. A more satisfying experience than Ram-Leela. One of SLB's best. Ranveer Singh should pick up some awards for a complex performance.
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Post by dancelover on Dec 21, 2015 15:37:54 GMT
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muska
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Posts: 4,930
Favorite actor: Shashi Kapoor, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Fawad Khan
Favorite actress: Madhuri, Sridevi, Rekha, Nandita Das, Tabu, Waheeda Rehman, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone
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Post by muska on Dec 21, 2015 22:45:10 GMT
What did you all think of Bajirao and Mastani's relationship? I'm just asking because I wanted to know if anyone else found it difficult to root for them to be together.
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lydia
Junior artiste
Posts: 58
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Post by lydia on Dec 22, 2015 7:10:45 GMT
What did you all think of Bajirao and Mastani's relationship? I'm just asking because I wanted to know if anyone else found it difficult to root for them to be together. As ruler Bajirao was allowed to have more than one wife - custom allowed for it. If she had been Brahmin - no problems ... it wouldn't have been considered adulterous. Mastani however, was half Muslim and therefore, ostracized. I thought they were soul mates - he found a female equivalent of himself in battle and predictably fell in love with her. (I might be wrong in this interpretation but that's how I read it). It reminded me of the Catherine and Heathcliff relationship in Wuthering Heights (Where Catherine says 'I am Heathcliff'). |
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Post by dancelover on Dec 22, 2015 19:14:22 GMT
More than just "allowed" three centuries ago in India powerful men - rajas and their ministers - were "expected" to have more than one wife. Royal and noble daughters were brought up to expect to have to share a husband, as the price for marrying a powerful man. They would have been taught that the only way to be the only wife, was to marry a man too poor to support a second wife. Either poverty, or sharing one's husband with a co-wife, were the given choices. Both Kashibai and Mastani would have been raised to think that way. BUT, Kashibai would not have expected her husband to fall so hard for another woman that he ignored her. *That* was *not* part of the bargain! A husband was expected to attend to his wives equally, more or less. This despite the example of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, who were considered weird. Shah Jahan did have other wives, even if he ignored them in favor of his truelove. If the Raja or Peshwa loved his Duties more than any of his wives, then he was feeling what his people expected! Dancelover What did you all think of Bajirao and Mastani's relationship? I'm just asking because I wanted to know if anyone else found it difficult to root for them to be together. As ruler Bajirao was allowed to have more than one wife - custom allowed for it. If she had been Brahmin - no problems ... it wouldn't have been considered adulterous. Mastani however, was half Muslim and therefore, ostracized. I thought they were soul mates - he found a female equivalent of himself in battle and predictably fell in love with her. (I might be wrong in this interpretation but that's how I read it). It reminded me of the Catherine and Heathcliff relationship in Wuthering Heights (Where Catherine says 'I am Heathcliff'). |
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Post by dancelover on Dec 22, 2015 19:26:15 GMT
Audience Review, measured in Crores of Rupees.
Friday: 12.25
Saturday: 15
Sunday: 17.75 Weekend Total 45.
Monday: 10.25, which Box Office India calls "very steady."
In comparison, Dilwale Fri 20.85 (+ 8.6), Sat 19.5 (+4.5), Sun 23 (+ 5.25), Weekend 63.6 (+ 18.35),
Monday 9.5 (- 0.75) so Bajirao Mastani wins Monday and is trending better.
Dancelover |
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muska
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Posts: 4,930
Favorite actor: Shashi Kapoor, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Fawad Khan
Favorite actress: Madhuri, Sridevi, Rekha, Nandita Das, Tabu, Waheeda Rehman, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone
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Post by muska on Dec 22, 2015 20:16:26 GMT
I know it was acceptable for kings to have more than one wife, but it's just that in the context of this film Kashibai didn't seem ok with the thought of her husband being with another woman. While Bajirao's family and friends had a problem with Mastani's heritage, I don't think that was the reason why Kashibai was unhappy. She seemed like she would have been hurt by the concept of Bajirao loving another woman regardless of her bloodline. Her agony was caused by being neglected by the person she loved the most. That's why I felt Bajirao and Mastani weren't very sympathetic characters, they didn't seem to care that much about the pain they were inflicting on Kashibai. (Even though there was a scene where Bajirao told Kashibai that he was sorry for putting her through so much grief, and that she was just as dear to him as Mastani, to me it was negated by the fact that his actions didn't reflect it)
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lydia
Junior artiste
Posts: 58
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Post by lydia on Dec 22, 2015 20:58:29 GMT
I know it was acceptable for kings to have more than one wife, but it's just that in the context of this film Kashibai didn't seem ok with the thought of her husband being with another woman. While Bajirao's family and friends had a problem with Mastani's heritage, I don't think that was the reason why Kashibai was unhappy. She seemed like she would have been hurt by the concept of Bajirao loving another woman regardless of her bloodline. Her agony was caused by being neglected by the person she loved the most. That's why I felt Bajirao and Mastani weren't very sympathetic characters, they didn't seem to care that much about the pain they were inflicting on Kashibai. (Even though there was a scene where Bajirao told Kashibai that he was sorry for putting her through so much grief, and that she was just as dear to him as Mastani, to me it was negated by the fact that his actions didn't reflect it) There's a scene where Kashibai berates him for robbing her of her honor. I think she had status as his first wife and mother of his first child. His preference for Mastani was probably public knowledge. Not only was this hurtful but humiliating. |
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Post by dancelover on Dec 23, 2015 0:03:04 GMT
"Trending" in USA!
Tuesday Dec 22, 2015 7:PM EST
On Yahoo USA, Bajirao Mastani is "trending" in Third Place!
D |
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Post by corbie on Dec 26, 2015 1:15:29 GMT
We did a double feature and saw Dilwale and this one on the same day. I really enjoyed this one. I was assuming the first marriage was arranged and even though he "cared" for her, it wasn't the grand passion relationship he found. My only thought was it might have been better if the girls had the other roles. Deepika is so elegant the serious passion didn't seem to be there. Piyranka is so beautiful and just exudes passion.
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Post by dancelover on Dec 28, 2015 14:48:04 GMT
Yes, Corbie, it is very difficult to imagine any man leaving Priyanka for any other woman. OTOH, Dehpika is the one who can pull and shoot a bow. And, Kashibai was older than Mastani. Perhaps DP is now affected by the "can't/won't show her love for her real lover onscreen" syndrome. Kajol no longers works opposite Ajay, & Kareena no longer works opposite Saif. They can work opposite each other's husbands though!  Dancelover [snip - d] ... it might have been better if the girls had the other roles. Deepika is so elegant the serious passion didn't seem to be there. Priyanka is so beautiful and just exudes passion. |
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