Bajirao Mastani

Bajirao Mastani is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic tragedy film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who co-produced it with Eros International and composed its soundtrack. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra with Tanvi Azmi, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi, Milind Soman, Mahesh Manjrekar and Aditya Pancholi in supporting roles. Based on Nagnath S. Inamdar's Marathi novel Rau, Bajirao Mastani narrates the story of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I (1700–1740) and his second wife, Mastani.

Conceived as early as the 1990s, Bhansali announced the film in 2003 but production was delayed several times due to its changing cast. A passion project for Bhansali, Bajirao Mastani spent over a decade in development hell before being revived in 2014. Extensive research was done before moving into pre-production, which required the creation of twenty-two highly detailed sets, and numerous costumes and props to strengthen its opulence and high production value. Principal photography took place on sets constructed in Film City, with some portions being filmed on location. Visual effects and CGI were used in post-production to enhance a number of scenes.

Bajirao Mastani was released on 18 December 2015 and was praised for Bhansali's direction, various technical achievements, and the performances of the cast. The film has also been noted for its scale, grandeur and attention to detail. Recipient of several accolades, Bajirao Mastani won 7 National Film Awards, including Best Direction (Bhansali) and Best Supporting Actress (Azmi). The film received a leading 14 nominations at the 61st Filmfare Awards, including Best Actress (Padukone) and Best Supporting Actress (Azmi), and won a leading 9 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Bhansali), Best Actor (Singh) and Best Supporting Actress (Chopra). At the Zee Cine Awards, Singh won Best Actor – Male (Critics) and Padukone won Best Actor – Female.

The film was also very successful at the box office, grossing over ₹356.2 crore against the budget of ₹145 crore, thus becoming the 4th highest grossing Hindi film of 2015.

Plot

In 1720, following the demise of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, the court of Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu discusses appointing a new Peshwa. Ambaji Pant Purandare nominates Vishwanath's young son Bajirao as his father's potential successor; he passes the test he is put through, ultimately becoming the new Peshwa.

10 years later, Bajirao's wife Kashibai is paid a visit by her friend Bhanu, whose husband was executed by Bajirao on grounds of espionage. Bhanu anticipates that just as she has been pining for her dead husband, Kashi will suffer too. While on a journey to Sironj, Bajirao is visited by an ambassador of Bundelkhand, who enlists his help in repelling the invasion and reveals herself to be Mastani, daughter of Hindu Rajput king Chhatrasal and his Persian Muslim concubine Ruhani Begum. Impressed with her valor, Bajirao helps them fight the invaders. Overwhelmed with joy, Chhatrasal insists that Bajirao celebrate Holi with them. During this course of time, Bajirao and Mastani fall in love with each other. Before departing home, Bajirao gifts her a dagger, unaware of a Rajput tradition that establishes that a man presenting a woman his dagger represents their wedding. Back home in Pune, Kashibai welcomes Bajirao with a tour around Shaniwar Wada, their newly-built residence and Aaina Mahal, the hall of mirrors, that allows Kashibai to see Bajirao in there from her chambers.

Determined to pursue her love, Mastani arrives at Pune but Radhabai, Bajirao's mother, upon perceiving Mastani's intentions, conducts herself harshly and insists that Mastani leave, disparaging her religion. When Mastani refuses to oblige, Radhabai insults her by setting her up in accommodations with courtesans. Mastani tolerates the humiliation and goes to the extent of asking to be Bajirao's consort at Chhatrapati Shahu's court. Bajirao initially reprimands Mastani and asserts that she will receive no honour and that he will never be fully hers; she agrees and he takes her as his wife. To make way for their intentions of annexing the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Confederacy must ensure that the Nizam of Hyderabad doesn't obstruct. Bajirao sets out to arrange a truce with the Nizam and emerges successful.

He returns home and discovers that both Mastani and Kashi are pregnant. That night, Kashi witnesses Bajirao embracing Mastani from her chambers in the Aaina Mahal. Distraught, she leaves for her birthplace and returns months later with their new-born son Raghunath Rao. Mastani too gives birth to a son, whom they name Krishna Rao. Nevertheless, when the Brahmin priests refuse to conduct a Hindu naming ceremony for him, Bajirao declares that Krishna Rao shall be raised as a Muslim called Shamsher Bahadur. A few years pass by and Bajirao brings Mastani and Shamsher to live with him in Shaniwar Wada. Balaji Baji Rao alias Nana Saheb, Kashi and Bajirao's eldest son, returns home from his tutelage at Satara and expresses his strong hatred for Mastani.

Amidst Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, Kashi is informed of a conspiracy to murder Mastani and her son; she notifies Bajirao of the attempt and he promptly rescues them. Afraid for their safety, he builds her a new residence. He then prepares to leave and defeat Nasir Jung, the revolutionary prince of Nizam, But before departing, a custom requires Kashi, his chief consort, to see him into the battle. Bajirao visits her in deference to the tradition but she states that he has broken her heart and stripped her off her pride, comparing their relationship with that of Krishna and Rukmini. She then asks him to never enter her chambers again. After Bajirao leaves, Nana Saheb and Radhabai incarcerate Mastani and Shamsher. Upon discovering this, an outraged Bajirao defeats Nasir Jung but becomes severely ill. Kashi attends to him and insists Radhabai to release Mastani, emphasizing that only she can save him. Nana Saheb, however, ignores the instructions and only releases Shamsher. Bajirao, deliriously ill, hallucinates and dies while Kashi helplessly watches on. At the same time, Mastani dies in captivity and the ill-fated lovers are united in death.

Cast

The cast has been listed below:

Production

Development

Sanjay Leela Bhansali had conceived the historical romance about Maratha Peshwa Bajirao and his second wife Mastani even before he had directed his first feature Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996. Several other directors such as Muzaffar Ali, Manmohan Desai and Kamal Amrohi had tried to make a film about the two historical figures but they were never made. Bhansali had intended to make Bajirao Mastani after the release of Devdas (2002) and had officially announced it in 2003, with filming scheduled to begin in May 2004. The film, however, was shelved indefinitely. Reports about a possible revival had made headlines ever since; Bhansali had planned to revive it every other year but the project never came to fruition. In an interview with The Telegraph, Bhansali spoke about his intention to make Bajirao Mastani after finishing every film he made in-between, saying "I kept trying to revive it over and over again, but if there is one thing that filmmaking has taught me, it's that every film has its own destiny. And I strongly believe that the souls of ... Bajirao, Mastani and Kashibai wanted us to make this film only now." In the process, the film became a passion project for him.

After spending eleven years in development hell, Bhansali revived the project in 2014; the film was reported to be an adaptation of the Marathi-language novel Rau (1976) by Nagnath S. Inamdar. After the project was shelved, Bhansali said he struggled to put the film together and that he considered the project impossible to make. Nevertheless, he clung to his ambition to make the film someday, saying, "there is magic to it". Some film industry professionals believed it would never be made, calling it "jinxed". Bhansali always believed in the project, assuring himself the script was so powerful he had to make it one day. He told The Telegraph, "Honestly, I want very few things in life ... so I know that I am resilient enough to get them all! Deep down, I kept asking for the universe to let me make this film. When you dream very genuinely, then I believe you also get the power to fulfill it. In pursuing Bajirao Mastani, I have been resilient and very focused. I have sacrificed a lot of things".

Primarily known for making romantic dramas, Bhansali was intrigued about the romance between "two people who defied everything, just to be in love with each other", and was excited to tell a 200-year-old story. He wanted to show the relationship between Bajirao and Mastani because it was rarely depicted in history books, and little was known about it. He had long admired the Maratha backdrop and the different religions of the protagonists—Bajirao was Hindu and Mastani was Muslim—which further drove his interest towards knowing more and telling the story. He saw it as a chance to comment on religion and love, saying, "In those times, people were offended by the same things that offend them today. Through this film, I want to show that love is the greatest religion."