Padmaavat Review: A great work of art, filled with brilliant filmmaking and outstanding performances!

Positive Points: Direction, Screenplay, Dialogues, Costumes, Sets

Negative Points: Story, CGI

Padmaavat Plot:

Padmaavat is based on Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s epic poem of the same name. The film starts off in Afghanistan where Jalaluddin Khilji (Raza Murad) is dreaming of dethroning the current king of Delhi Sultanate and become the new Sultan. His nephew and son-in-law Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) helps him fulfill his coveted dream but over ambitious Alauddin has his own wicked plans in store. Soon, he murders Jalaluddin and ascends the throne of Delhi Sultanate. On the other hand, King Ratan Singh ( Shahid Kapoor) brings his newlywed queen Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) from Singhal kingdom to his palace in Mewar, Rajasthan. Blessed with immaculate beauty and great intelligence, Padmavati becomes the talk of the town as soon as she enters the kingdom of Mewar. Ratan Singh's guru is also infatuated by her beauty. When the king comes to know about the vicious desires of the guru, he sentences him to banishment. Hurt and enraged guru warms Ratan Singh and Padmavati of harmful consequences and leaves the kingdom. Soon, he reaches to Alauddin's court in Delhi and describes the unrivalled beauty of queen Padmavati. When Khilji hears about the inexplicable beauty of the queen, he is utterly besotted. He wants to get her no matter what. To fulfill his dream, he devises a plan. He besieges Mewar and demands Padmavati. However, when Khilji fails to get the queen despite using his whole bag of tricks, he decides to wage a war against the Rajput kingdom. To know what happens next, watch the film.

Padmaavat Performance Review:

When you have performers like Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in the cast and ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the helm of the affair, it is highly unlikely that anything can go wrong. All the leading actors in the movie outshine their previous performances and set a new benchmark for themselves, which is certainly not going to be easy for them to surpass anytime soon. Deepika Padukone, whose last full-fledged performance in a Hindi film was for Bajirao Mastani, is the backbone of Padmaavat. You can argue that there are several heroines in Bollywood who are as competent and talented as Padukone. I agree to some extent. Having said that, I also state that no one could have performed Rani Padmavati as graciously and competently as Deepika has done. In the role of an impressively fierce woman who can go to any length to save her honor, Deepika looks pitch perfect. Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, is also outstanding. He just nails his character and looks menacing from start to finish. Actors should learn from him that how to get into the skin of a character. Shahid Kapoor has done a good job, too, but somehow his performance does not overwhelms you. Actors like Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh and Raza Murad have minor but important roles to play and they do not disappoint.

Padmaavat Direction Review:

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his masterfully assured direction that has given us some of the best cinematic pieces of Hindi cinema. It goes without saying that Bhansali excels what he does. Living up to the every expectation, he proves his mettle once again. He fills his film with a bouquet of beautiful things: gleaming palaces, simmering costumes, jaw-dropping battle scenes and, most importantly, riveting performances by his actors. Every shot of his latest film is engrossingly captivating, and the director handles his actors intelligently and gets best out of them. In a nutshell, Bhansali has added another gem to his admirable body of work in the form of Padmaavat. However, I feel he should have worked a little more on the story.

Padmaavat Technical Aspect Review:

Padmaavat is considerably more ambitious than all previous offerings of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and hence, the director has put his blood and soul into its making. He has painstakingly worked on each and every detail of the film for over two years and that, unfailingly, shows when you watch it in cinemas. SLB is not just the co-producer, director, writer and music director of Padmaavat, he is also the editor of it. As we all know that the canvas of his films is always huge that, at times, they end up running for over 3 hours. But here, he wraps up his drama well within 3 hours and presents a crisp and consistent film for our viewing. Cinematographers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films are as important in making his films look enthrallingly grand and visually appealing as the filmmaker himself. His latest film has been lensed by Sudeep Chatterjee and he deserves distinction marks for his uncompromised work. The production values of the film is rich. CGI work could have been better, though.

Padmaavat Music Review:

Be it Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas or Bajirao Mastani, each and every film of Sanjay Leela Bhansali boasts of great music, the music which leaves with you not just while watching his movies in theatres, but thereafter also. His latest creation is also brimming with outstanding music, which he himself has composed. Songs like 'Ghoomar’ and 'Ek Dil Hai’ are not just pleasing to ears but eyes also. Other songs in the album are also good.

Padmaavat Final Verdict:

The film Padmaavat is much beyond its dazzling visuals, elaborate dance sequences and imposing sets. If you miss the latest Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial on celluloid, you will soon realize that you missed a great cinematic experience. Padmaavat entertains you so much that you will swoon with delight.