Bajirao Mastani
Bajirao Mastani is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who also composed
its soundtrack. Jointly produced by Bhansali
and Eros International's Kishore Lulla, the film
stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika
Padukone and Priyanka
Chopra. The supporting cast includes Tanvi Azmi, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi and Milind Soman.
Based on the Marathi fictional novel Rau by Nagnath S. Inamdar, Bajirao Mastani narrates
the story of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I (1700–1740 AD) and his second
wife.
Conceived as early as the 1990s, Bhansali announced the film
in 2003 but production was delayed several times due to its changing
cast. Bajirao Mastani, a passion project for Bhansali, spent the next
eleven years in development hell before being revived in
2014. Extensive research was done before moving into pre-production,
which required the creation of twenty-two highly detailed sets, and numerous
costumes and props to strengthen its opulence and high production value. Principal photography took place on
sets constructed in Film City, with some portions being filmed on
location. Visual effects and CGI were used in post-production to
enhance a number of scenes.
The film was released on 18 December 2015 and praised for
Bhansali's direction, various technical achievements, and the performances of
the cast. Bajirao Mastani has also been noted for its scale, grandeur
and attention to detail. With a budget of ₹145 crore, including marketing
and advertisements, it is one of the most expensive Hindi films.
It has grossed over ₹356 crore at the box office, becoming a major
commercial success and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of
all time.
Recipient of several accolades, Bajirao Mastani won seven National Film Awards, including Best Direction for Bhansali and Best Supporting Actress for Azmi. The film received a leading fourteen nominations at the 61st Filmfare Awards and won nine awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Bhansali, Best Actor for Singh, and Best Supporting Actress for Chopra. At the Zee Cine Awards, Singh won Critics Award for Best Actor – Male and Padukone won Best Actor – Female.
Plot
In the early 18th century, the court of Maratha king Chhatrapati
Shahu needs a new Peshwa,
the equivalent of a prime minister. Ambaji Pant nominates a young Bajirao.
As a test, Bajirao is
asked to split a peacock feather with an arrow. He succeeds and is given
the Peshwa title. Ten years later, his wife Kashibai is
visited by her widowed friend Bhanu, whose husband, accused of spying, was
ordered to be executed by Bajirao. She predicts that just as she yearns for her
husband, Kashibai will yearn for Bajirao.
While travelling to Sironja,
an emissary from Bundelkhand requests
Bajirao's help to fight invaders. She reveals herself to be Mastani,
the daughter of the Hindu Rajput king Chhatrasal and
his Persian Muslim consort Ruhani Begum.
Impressed by her skills as a warrior, Bajirao assists her with his army and
defeats the invaders. Chhatrasal is overjoyed and insists Bajirao spend Holi with them.
Mastani and Bajirao fall in love during this time and he gives her his dagger,
unaware that it is a symbol of marriage among the Rajputs. Back home in Pune, Kashibai greets
Bajirao with a tour of their newly built Shaniwar Wada and
the Aaina Mahal (Hall
of Mirrors), which allows her to see him from her room.
Determined to pursue her love, Mastani arrives in Pune but is
treated harshly by Bajirao's mother Radhabai and accommodated in the palace
for courtesans,
as Radhabai refuses to accept her as a daughter-in-law. Mastani tolerates this
and adamantly expresses her desire to be with Bajirao; Bajirao chides her
persistence, reminding her he is already married and will never fully be hers;
his court will also never respect her. Mastani agrees to these conditions so
Bajirao declares her his second wife.
The Marathas prepare to attack Delhi, the capital of
the Mughal Empire, but must first ensure the Nizam, the Muslim ruler of Hyderabad,
will not attack them. Bajirao leaves to confront the Nizam, Qamar ud-Din Khan, and returns successful.
Through her Aaina Mahal, a pregnant Kashibai sees Bajirao embracing Mastani,
who is also expecting. Heartbroken, she leaves for her mother's home, and
returns months later with her newborn son, who is named Raghunath.
Mastani also gives birth to a son, named Krishna Rao. After the Brahmin priest
refuses to conduct the Hindu naming ceremony on the grounds that Krishna Rao is
illegitimate, Bajirao renames his son Shamsher
Bahadur, deciding he will be raised Muslim. A few years later,
Kashibai and Bajirao's eldest son Balaji Baji
Rao, known as Nana Saheb, returns from Satara and
expresses his hatred of Mastani for breaking his mother's marriage.
Kashibai is informed of a plan to murder Mastani and her son
during a festival. She saves Mastani by relaying this to an unaware Bajirao,
who promptly rescues them. To keep Mastani safe and grant her a royal home,
Bajirao builds a palace for her. He later leaves for the battlefield to
defeat Nasir Jung, the vengeful son of the Nizam.
Before leaving, he meets Kashibai in deference to the tradition that the wife
see her husband into battle. In tears, Kashibai explains that Bajirao broke her
heart and took her pride with what he has done, and compares their love with
that of Krishna and Rukmini.
She asks him never to enter her chamber again, and a teary-eyed Bajirao
accepts, apologising for hurting her.
Once Bajirao leaves, his mother and Nana Saheb imprison Mastani and her son. After Bajirao receives the news, he singlehandedly defeats Nasir Jung's army in his rage but is fatally injured. At Bajirao's deathbed, Kashibai sends a letter pleading with his mother to release Mastani so that he recovers. Nana Saheb burns the letter, though Mastani's son is set free. Bajirao, delirious from his illness, hallucinates and dies as Kashibai helplessly watches; at the same time, Mastani dies in captivity. The ill-fated lovers are united in death.
Cast
·
Ranveer Singh as Bajirao I, Peshwa of
the Maratha Empire
·
Deepika
Padukone as Mastani
·
Priyanka
Chopra as Kashibai
·
Tanvi Azmi as
Radhabai
·
Milind Soman as Ambaji Pant
Purandare
·
Vaibhav Tatwawaadi as Chimaji Appa
·
Ayush Tandon as Nana Saheb
·
Mahesh
Manjrekar as Chhatrapati
Shahu
·
Aditya
Pancholi as Shripatrao Pratinidhi
·
Raza Murad as Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad
·
Sukhada
Khandkekar as Anubai
·
Benjamin
Gilani as Maharaja Chhatrasal
·
Anuja Sathe as
Bhiubai
·
Yatin
Karyekar as Krishna Bhatt
·
Ganesh
Yadav as Malhar Rao Holkar
·
Snehlata
Girish Vasaikar as Bhanu
·
Irrfan Khan as
the narrator (voice-over)
·
Kaartik
Ahuja as Nasir Jung
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