After weeks of debating and dissecting, the much-talked about clash between Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani is finally here. Unfortunately, there is no winner in this story.
First, let’s talk about Dilwale, which reunites Shah Rukh Khan with his DDLJ co-star Kajol. Their unrivaled chemistry, it seems, is the soul of this otherwise, pedantic, story-less saga from champion director Rohit Shetty. If critics views are anything to go by (and they are), this is a film that is meant for only those who can tolerate a pointless screenplay because they adore Shah Rukh Khan or Kajol or both.
Namrata Joshi, in a review for The Hindu, wrote: “With Dilwale, Rohit Shetty goes hopelessly wrong despite much that he had at his disposal, including a power-packed cast and producer. Not that one has ever expected anything more than a masala entertainer from him but Dilwale has neither masala nor entertainment. It is just an unappetising khichdi (hodge-podge) of action, emotion, romance and comedy. But even in two of these four elements, which Shetty specialises in, he comes out curiously lacking.”
IANS review echoes a similar sentiment: “With King Khan and director Rohit Shetty, one expects mega entertainment. Dilwale is a formulaic film, replete with all the ingredients of a typical Rohit Shetty film – Goa, cars overturning, fast-paced action and bright candy coloured sets. But the film lacks soul and freshness.”
India Today’s generous review suggests that you leave your brain at home. “Dilwale is immensely enjoyable despite an oh-my-god-this-is-so-predictable story. Keep your brains out of the picture, and you have an out-and-out entertainer.”
So, what can you look forward to in Dilwale? Well, as Namrata Joshi puts it, “SRK looks great in the stubbly avatar. He should stay unshaven forever.”
Moving onto the other film in this clash, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani and its fate is unsure. For one thing, it’s unclear if this film’s goal is: to present itself as an inaccurate historical or a romantic saga. It looks like BM is trying to be both and as a consequence, does justice to neither.
Indian Express’ review by film critic Shubhra Gupta doesn’t beat around the bush and nails the problem with Bajirao Mastani. “Too quickly you tire of all the showiness,” she wrote. The grandiosity wears off. You long for a genuinely moving, exciting story, featuring all these beautiful people, all actors able to pull off characters, but buried under their mounds of clothes, mouthing dialogue. Bajirao Mastani had the potential to be a terrific historical. You want to be transported. What it ends up being is a costume drama: too many costumes, too much revved-up, empty drama, and too little plot.”
On the other hand, The Hindu’s Namrata Joshi rates the film slightly higher than Dilwale and says in her review: “There is something in Bajirao Mastani that reaches out and keeps you intensely engaged even as it wears you down.”
