Goliyon Ki Raasleela
Ram-leela
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak, Gulshan Devaiah, Richa Chadda
Rated: 5.5/10
let us first get the obvious out of the way. It’s a Sanjay leela Bhansali movie. This means that everything has to be on a larger than life canvas. The sets are brilliant and elaborate. One can see the detailing that has gone into the sets. Each shot has been taken with care. The costumes are bright and colourful. In fact, so much care has been taken that it is perfect. And if all this is not enough, the jewellery that has been worn is absolutely beautiful. Some of you may want to just go and see this movie of the jewellery alone.
But enough about the clothes, the sets and jewellery.
Ram-leela or should we say Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela (the name of the movie had to be changed) is all about Ram and his leela. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (credits say inspired by the story), Ram-leela leaves one exhilarated awe-inspired from the word go. Or should we say from the song Ramji Ki Chaal Dekho....
In some ways it also leaves one a little confused. Is it about Ram and his Sita — in this case leela — and how he has returned or is it about Romeo who falls in love with the enemy’s daughterIJ Well, believe it or not only Bhansali can think of mixing the two and coming up with a storyline that is age-old — that love triumphs over everything, even hate.
But one has to remember that it is a Bhansali film, so it is not the story that is the centre-point. It is the sheer brilliance of the canvas on which the film is played out on. Of course, Bhansali is known to use colour to his advantage. Though people didn’t quite take to Saawariya and the black and blue tones, in Ram-leela he has used colour to the maximum. In fact, one will have to think hard and think of a colour that was not there in the movie.
Then there is the performance itself. While Deepika Padukone looks her gorgeous self in once again very colourful ghagra and cholis, it is Ranveer Singh who is the surprise element. Bhansali has managed to get a great performance out from Singh. His six-pack abs, the floral band of his underwear that peeps out from over the belt to his comic timing, Ranveer has shown that in the right hands he can deliver the best that is in him.
A special mention for Supriya Pathak. Though it appears that the 50-plus actress has put on more weight, her role as the villainous mobster Baa is brilliant. In fact, the character was tailor-made for her.
This SlB movie is meticulous, has ravishing frames, the cinematography is great and the art work is awesome. Over all a superlative film where the director knows how to manipulate the characters to his advantage despite the fact the film is a tad too long — it is for 155 minutes.