16 November,2013 11:27 PM IST | | Shubha Shetty-saha
It's time to sing and dance again. Sanjay Leela Bhansali this time brings back a passion on screen that seems to have lost in the lets-concentrate-on-amassing-hundreds-of-crores kind of cinema. A larger-than-life film as is Bhansali's signature style, Ram-Leela is definitely a unique, deserving nothing but the big screen experience.
Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in 'Ram-Leela'
Lets talk about the best thing of the film. The beauty. Each frame is a winner from the cinematographer (Ravi Verma), who makes it all look so breathtakingly beautiful that it is a task to take one's eye off from the backdrop and concentrate on the characters. Even a morose death scene in the backdrop of rain is made to look beautiful. An absolute treat for the eyes, the film is a beautiful painting from start to finish.
Earlier guilty of going overboard with his aesthetic sense (read Saawariya) and his sensitivity (read Guzaarish), this time Bhansali gives us what he has never given us before. A film, inspired by the fateful story of Romeo and Juliet, talks about Leela (Deepika Padukone) and Ram (Ranveer Singh), who fall in love in spite of belonging to rival gangs.
Set in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Ram-Leela traces the story of this passionate couple who decide to fight against the system and generation old enmity between the gangs, to be able to love each other. Several twists and turns later, which also includes a political angle, the movie and their passionate love story continues to hold your full attention as you reach a highly dramatic climax.
It is Deepika and Ranvir's sizzling chemistry that does full justice to Bhansali's passionate story. Looking more gorgeous than ever, Deepika refreshingly plays a spontaneous bold girl who unapologetically carries her heart on her sleeve. Ranvir's Ram is just the male version of her Leela, but mixed with a hint of ego and machismo. The two fall in love so passionately that their passion manifests in different ways through the length of the film, in romance, in anger, in intimacy and in rage. Their playful courtship (none like that we have seen earlier in Bollywood ) peppered with delightful banter (thanks to the debut writers Siddhart and Garima) ends up going through various forms, shaking the very foundation of belief of the two families. While Deepika totally impresses with her absolutely uninhibited performance, Ranvir gives her good support.
It is Supriya Pathak's performance that is truly worth writing paeans for. Playing her role of a shrewd, powerful and ruthless mafia gang leader, Pathak is simply brilliant.
Another trump for the film is its casting. Obviously carefully handpicked by Bhansali, the other character roles played by Sharad Kelkar, Richa Chaddha, Barkha Bisht each give convincing performances. The talented Gulshan Devaiyah seemed wasted here, though. While the first half keeps you riveted, the second half sags a bit in parts even when you are reeling under the sudden twists and turns of the script. A must watch.u00a0
