Ramlila ->
Ram-leela -> Goliyon ki rasleela....Ram-Leela!!
That's precisely
how this just born baby of the self-fascinated Sanjay L. Bhansali went through
its pre-birth journey in the womb of its (perpetually dreaming) creator before
its umbilical cord was snapped yesterday. Incidentally it was also the very day
when the modern era's Ram (as is commonly known to the Earth's inhabitants -
that of Maryada Purushottam fame) was so uninhibitedly exhibiting HIS own Lila
for that very last time @ HIS karmabhoomi (commonly known as Wankhede). That
was the Lila not only the entire nation but rest of the cricketing world wanted
to last a little beyond before it so unceremoniously got cut short by HIM only
(perhaps somewhere HE only can decide HIS own fate).
When the feeling
eventually sunk in that the real life Lila got to its FINALE did I (with a
heavy heart of course) decide to check what a reel life Lila has to offer. It
helped my confidence that I knew it was the baby of someone I have admired
growing up.
What stumped me was
the initial disclaimer to desperately disjoin this work of fiction with the
more popular story. Why to get into all of this truly avoidable controversy
unless you want it to take shape that way only? Through the running of this
cinematic piece of work I couldn't help wonder that SLB indeed had
"Ramlila" only at the back of his mind while camouflaging it as being
inspired by the videsi "Romeo and Juliet". Just to ensure that he has
his cake n eat it too SLB 'renamed' this epic twice from what it was intended
to be known as.
First up, guys just
do not take your young kids to this noise-pollution & soft-porn drama.
After sharing my concern on Krrish 3 just few days ago for similar reasons it
came as a rude shock to notice that this one too could manage to skip through
our dreaded censor board which so generously awarded it a U/A!! I ask them
"on what grounds"? There is definitely something crazy with the
sensitivity of these people sitting in high offices. Or is it that they have
also joined the "corruption only" mantra (blossoming give and take
relationship) of the UPA in whatever they do? This is an out and out adult
entertainer!! Period. Take your toddlers & adolescents along at your peril
only. I might sound old fashioned but don't curse me later for not having
warned you well in advance. Now having said that I take liberty to do a
critique on this purely as a "for adults" movie (or I’ll have to
struggle really hard to rate it later).
Before the movie
started an interesting, small but impactful audio-visual clip showcasing the
virtues of Dolby Atmos was shown and it truly left all the viewers in awe! Few
minutes into the saga did I realize as to why that hitherto subtly boasted
asset of an auditorium was launched in the public conscience (as a USP) today
only. If ever there was a contest to nominate for the cine experience with the
maximum decibel generated on a sound meter during its run-time Ram-Leela would
beat everything else hands down.
SLB believes that
everything he does (or as his audience would expect him to deliver) has to be
just perfect. That explains why his works are just too good to be true. All his
sets appear to be replica of how an Indra's courtyard would hypothetically look
like. There is not a single shade of imperfection or sub-standardness in his
most ambitious project till date. But what about the basic set-up?
In today's times
where in Gujarat would you be able to visualize a village where rounds of guns
are fired more than the number of times all the villagers would collectively
relieve themselves of nature's calls during the course of a day? Where a
sex-parlour running Casanova would be able to so openly (and acceptably as
well!) get into one-night stands with virtually all village girls? Where
despite all his infamy on his weakness of looking at all females as nothing
more than sex objects the most gorgeous of them all would feel
"head-over-heel" on him at the very first sight itself?
Weird as it may
sound but the so-called chemistry between the lead pair is nothing more than
their unabashed ability to portray lust in their eyes towards each other every
time they meet (or greet each other over phones)! There is absolutely no such
thing as romance between them as the filmmaker would want us to believe.
Generously infused with double meaning references it's just plain
"Lust" all the time (if the villagers' guns are resting meanwhile).
Oops! I just forgot
that I am actually penning my views on a film for a "mature" audience
(which may still not have evolved to be comfortable watching it with their
families).
As said earlier,
set designing indeed is a hallmark of this story. To compliment it
picturization is equally brilliant. Especially, the songs make you feel as if
you have got teleported to a royal & grand Mogul Darbar.
As for individual
performances, Ranveer has an inherent rustic appeal to his personality &
overall demeanour. He knows it jolly well and makes no bones about it publicly.
On screen he is shamelessly at ease with his act. Deepika has been seen in
similar roles earlier as well but in a rural setting also she pulls off her
character's demand astonishingly brilliantly. As a control freak Supriya Pathak
Shah packs a punch and I couldn't help feel she has been wasting her immense
talent all these years just sitting at home! Come on Supriya. Bindu's fans have
been wanting her successor for long and you are just fitting it to the 'Tee'!!
I would rate this
strictly "not for family viewing" portrayal at 8 on REndex. If you
put a gun on my temple forcing me to give it a more popular rating for masses
it can never be more than 4 (and that too considering the fact that in urban
multiplex audience kids are already exposed to PSP's & FTV when they still
are of a very impressionable age).
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