Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Runtime: 160 Minutes
Romeo and Juliet has been an alltime favourite for ages, varied adaptations have been featured in numerous movies. To this list one can add another name, Ram-Leela or as they were made to call it, “Goliyon ki raaslela..RamLeela” . Actually they couldn’t have defined the movie in more apt words. This fits perfectly. If you throw logic out of the window and adjust with the fact that the movie isn’t set in some different era, you may scrape out of this 3-hour long drama without a headache. It’s grand, colourful, sensuous with a violent beckdrop. Deepika padukone mesmerizes you with her looks and a little acting, while Ranvir singh looks confident, but only if he had limited his acting to not go overboard. Unlike other movies, the second half is better than the first only if you could hold yourself onto your seats.
The story is about a village with two arch-rival clans in Gujarat, who have been fighting among themselves for the last 500 years. No points for guessing that the lead pair belongs to the opposite teams, but ultimately fall in love. But it isn’t that simple, the love story is the thread that binds the violent clash and the dilemma involved in trying to get rid of this enmity, which is a lost cause. Its’ filled with drama in every sense, and all the possible tricks in the “book of dramatization” (if there’s any like it) has been used, so much so that you might mistake some of the scenes to be straight out of an Indian Soap opera.
The lead pair of Deepika and Ranveer has a very sensuous chemistry, which makes the story not turn on to be a totally boring affair. The script gave them the luxury of enough leg space to spread their legs out in this comeback vehicle for SLB. Other characters, like Supriya Pathak do infuse a certain degree of effort, but its’ all below the surface and the only thing which shines out are Ram and Leela. Perhaps, that’s what SLB wanted to. Although it is to be mentioned, half of the credits have Bhansali’s name with them, along with being the Director.
The music has been incorporated wonderfully, with songs every now and then, but then that’s what you expect from a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie. The song-dance sequences are grand and colorful, with regular reminders of Bhansali’s Hum Dil de chuke Sanam.
The problem with the movie is the length, draggy first half and is somehow like the Gujrati-version of Ishaqzaade, which itself wasn’t anything totally new. But yes, the chemistry between the lead pair and the sensuous Deepika is not just a treat to watch but its’ she who anchors the Ram-Leela ship along the process.
I’m going with a 2.5/5 for “Goliyon ki rasleela, Ram-leela”, a one-time watch where a little patience would come handy.