If the Late Ramanand Sagar had
happened to see the outcome of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s wordplay with his epic and immortal
creation on television, he would have let out a sigh in all probability,
mouthing something close to this phrase, if not the exact words. While
some dumb-head's PIL in Delhi High Court contesting the release of the movie on
grounds of hurting religious sentiments is an over exaggeration, the efforts to
call Mr. Bhansali’s latest creation a romantic tragedy can be safely assumed to
be somewhat similar.
It’s not that Goliyon Ki
Raasleela-Ram Leela (let’s call it GKRLRL) is a poorly-made film. On the
contrary, it is resplendent to the eye. The cinematography, as is the case with
every Bhansali movie, is breathtaking. Every frame is bursting with vivid
colors and shades, and even the barren landscape of the Rann of Kutch appears
anything but that. Credit goes to the cinematographer, Ravi Varman, who had
earlier introduced many of us to the breathtaking beauty of Darjeeling and
Kolkata in Barfi! The opulence in Bhansali’s movies is impossible to ignore,
with elaborately designed sets and dance sequences. However, the film falters
at the storyline, hardly making any efforts to generate sympathy for the lead
couple. Not that it is the fault of the lead actors, and I shall come to that
in a bit. But inspired as the storyline is from the much-adapted ‘Romeo &
Juliet’ by William Shakespeare, we all know what the film has in store for us;
though that could hardly be called a deterrent for the movie-going public. What
everyone would be curious to see is the treatment meted out to the story by a director whose specialization lies in tragedies. But what had catapulted Mr.
Bhansali to the eminent position of a celebrated director in his first couple
of movies, the ingredient of emotion, is sadly missing here. Both Khamoshi & Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam were heartfelt in their emotional upheavals,
their abilities to tug at your heartstrings, and to resonate with the audience.
Devdas onwards, apart from Black,
Mr. Bhansali seems to have gone overboard with the make-believe, initially with
the huge sets, and gradually with the plot. GKRLRL unfortunately suffers from
the same malaise, as the love (rather lust) story between the protagonists seems
contrived. Their transition from lust/attraction to eternal love doesn’t cut
ice with the audience. All we see is the exchange of some groan-worthy PJs in
way of sms, some dirty talks over the phone and they are ready to elope
for ‘love’. As is the norm in such Hindi movies, much violence, bloodbath and madness ensues the
elopement, which manages to entertain the audience for a while; but even for a
2 hours and 35 minutes long movie, the storyline loses its grip midway into the
first half, and never quite catches up. Music is pedestrian, which is
disheartening for an SLB movie, and apart from Ranveer’s well-oiled six packs in the
opening song, there’s nothing to look forward to in this area, Priyanka
Chopra’s giddy and gaudy item number notwithstanding.
The supporting cast is strong, however; and holds together the porous script.
Supriya Pathak as the dreaded gangster is brilliant with her kohl-lined eyes
and cold demeanor. Richa Chadda has been making waves of late with her
stupendous acts, and she tries her best to make the most of whatever
limitations the script had to offer, as Deepika’s sympathetic sister-in-law.
Same goes for Barkha Bisht, playing an identical role on Ranveer’s side, while
Gulshan Devaiyah, whom we so fondly remember as a class act from Shaitaan, is
sadly miscast as a slimy villain.
Deepika Padukone has hit a purple
patch a-la Virat Kohli of late, ever since Cocktail
and she continues on her ravishing ways here, despite the script reducing her to a caricature of a lovelorn Juliet. If nothing else, you can
spend a good part of the movie, just marveling at her ravishing beauty and confident
performance, which lights up an otherwise dim love story. Ranveer Singh doesn’t
actually have much to chew on, and one has to accept that after a classic like
Lootera, this is a bit of a downer,
much like a spoilt raita after a ravishing biryani. The recent trend of
showcasing a male actor’s chiseled torso, just for the heck of it, has been
growing at a worrisome rate in Bollywood; and at one point, I was sincerely
worried about him suffering a wardrobe malfunction with his low-waist dhoti, which served little purpose in a
song which was further bewildering; but by then I had resigned myself to the fate.
GKRLRL is worth a watch if you
are a fan of those LED television commercials promising you a burst of color in
rich format, but offers little beyond that. If the Great Bard would have had the
opportunity so view the movie, he would have most likely quoted the title of
one of his famous works: Much Ado About
Nothing.
