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'Padmavaat' delivers epic war in the name of beauty
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Deepika Padukone as Padmavati in 'Padmavaat.' (Viacom Motion Pictures/File)
P
em>Padmaavat, which was initially titled Padmavati, is a Bollywood epic drama film helmed by celebrated director Sanjay Leela Bhansali that is set in the 13th century and is based on the poem Padmavat by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi.
As a princess of Singhal, Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) is said to have goddess-like beauty and expertise in archery. One day she meets Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), a man of Rajput caste descent and ruler of Mewar, and the two become inseparable ever after. Despite being already married, Singh falls head over heels for Padmavati and decides to bring her to his kingdom to be his wife.
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In the kingdom, Singh is close to a priest named Raghav Chetan (Aayam Mehta), who seems impressed by the presence of Padmavati. However, Chetan is later punished by Singh after being caught sneaking around to watch the king and queen kissing in their bedroom.
Chetan then meets the greedy and malevolent Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) who rules Delhi. He tells Khilji that if he wants to gain more power, he must have Padmavati by his side. Blinded by her beauty, Khilji does whatever it takes to defeat Mewar and take Padmavati.
Similar to Bhansali’s previous work, Devdas (2002), Padmavaat is filled with beautiful scenery, lavish costumes, splendid sets and well-choreographed dance scenes.
The audience will also enjoy the good chemistry between Padukone and Kapoor, who are both very expressive in the film. It is unfortunate, however, that despite Padmavati being portrayed as a good strategist – even better than her husband – it is only shown in a small portion of the film.
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The spotlight goes to Ranveer Singh who plays the evil Khilji as he is able to stir up the audience's emotions. The music also deserves praise as it successfully adds a dramatic tone to the film.
Prior to the premiere, Padmavaat was met with protests over speculation it would depict a romantic relationship between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji. Hence, there are some disclaimers before the film is screened. (kes)
