Entertainment / Film Review: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Film Review: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Entertainment Nov 21, 2013

by sheetal Nanda

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak, Richa Chadda, and Priyanka Chopra (special guest appearance)

Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Screenplay: Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Siddharth-Garima

Music: Monty Sharma & Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Running Time: 162 minutes

Rating: 2.5/5

I’ve always admired Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a filmmaker. Not just because he presents visual opulence on the big screen like no other, but also because he’s a compelling storyteller. He broke my heart in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, took me on an emotional rollercoaster in his remake of Devdas and rendered me speechless with Black. Yet, his latest film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, is far from a splendid experience – even if it is raking in some high box office receipts.

A Bollywood version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet appears to be a worthy goal, in theory. However, Bhansali takes several bold detours and inserts one too many Bollywood clichés in Ram-Leela, making the film a not so great idea.

Bhansali’s film briefly delights because it tells a story that is all too familiar. His setting is Ranjar, an imaginary town in Gujarat filled with gunrunning, violence and a corrupt police force. The two feuding clans are the Sanedas, led by the ruthless Baa (Supriya Pathak) and the poorer Rajadis.

Setting this rivalry in modern times does make for some very awkward moments. The audience must endure irritating cell phone rings, selfies, a seedy porn shop and mentions of Twitter.

Bhansali’s Romeo is Ram (Ranveer Singh), a chintzy fellow with wind blowing hair and six-pack abs. He’s content selling pirated pornographic DVDs and desires to make peace with the Sanedas. Ram encounters his gorgeous Leela (Deepika Padukone) on Holi when he crashes the Sanedas celebrations with his buddies.

The film spends the rest of the first half developing the love story between Ram and Leela, albeit on a superficial level. It’s in the second half of the film that these star-crossed lovers must navigate their forbidden love through their families’ battles. Throw in some lust, betrayal and a balcony on which Leela can call down to her Ram and you have a Bollywood tale that keeps true to the original story.

Ram-Leela is worth watching, not for Bhansali’s storytelling efforts, but for the performances from the female cast. Deepika Padukone is mesmerizing on screen as Leela. She is a modern day Sita, if you will – bold, outspoken, headstrong and full of passion. However her interactions with Ram are not as captivating as they should be, no matter how sexually charged Bhansali makes the dialogue.

Supriya Pathak stands out as the vengeful matriarch, convincingly showcasing her character’s bloodthirsty attitude. She is the only character in the film that is able to evoke emotion, which is very unsettling for a film that is supposed to be a tragic love story.

Richa Chadda, as Leela’s widowed sister-in-law is remarkable from beginning to end. The one female performance the film could have done without is Priyanka Chopra’s item song, which underwhelms.

Ranveer Singh as Ram is less than stellar. Perhaps it’s because of Bhansali’s direction, but all scenes in which he acts without Padukone appear over-the-top and leave you exhausted. His acting style fits that of the typical Bollywood 'Romeo' but leaves the character with very little substance.

One cannot deny that Ram-Leela is a feast for the eyes and ears. The set design offers a wondrous backdrop and the costumes by Anju Modi and Maxima Basu are exquisite. The cinematography and editing deliver lots of style to the film.

Ram-Leela features enjoyable music, intricately choreographed dance numbers and picturesque locations, all inevitable features of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film.

Amidst the gun firing and other gimmicks, it’s difficult for Bhansali to draw audiences into the love story. Despite being in possession of many key ingredients, his endeavor to create an epic Bollywood version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece falls flat. It wasn’t even fun watching him try. For me, parting from Ram-Leela was not such sweet sorrow.

In fact, it was welcomed.

Eros International released Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela in theatres on Nov. 15, 2013.

_{Photos Courtesy Of INDIAN EXPRESS And EROS INTERNATIONAL}

sheetal Nanda

Author

Sheetal Maya Nanda is the Principal Lawyer at SN Legal (www.snlegal.ca) and a Freelance Writer. She enjoys dissecting the legal issues happening in the entertainment and sports industries from a social, political and cultural lens. Outside the office, Sheetal is a...

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Film Review: Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

by sheetal Nanda

sheetal Nanda

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