So, did you see Padmaavat? No? Did you read the open letter written by Swara Bhaskar to the director? No? Do you watch news? No? That explains it. The movie has been in the news since the shooting started, piquing our interest and sustaining it for so many months. That is rather unusual for any of the recent movies. The unprecedented coverage given by the news channels to this movie which was all of course, free of cost, has definitely had the people flocking to the theaters in hordes. Frankly, there is not much in the movie. It is just that the Queen Padmavati commits suicide because her husband has died and she does not want to be captured by the victors.
I understand that this is a period film and they showed something in small print at the beginning that this is based on a fictitious poem. But why did the queen give up? As if there was no choice? Queens are skilled warriors and this was highlighted in the beginning of the movie. Yet, the queen commits suicide. One cannot even imagine the impact of such a movie on common viewers. Cinema is a very powerful medium. Anyone remembers the spurt in lovers committing suicide after the movie Ek Duje Ke Liye was released. And I needn’t highlight all the stalking and eve-teasing based on movies, stunts copied by youngsters which led to disclaimers put on movie screens that they are digitally enhanced.
Ok. Maybe, the queen did commit suicide. But if you see the movie, the last 15 minutes (I felt it was so longer), Deepika is shown walking towards her funeral pyre, in slow motion, in all her regal splendor. She is inspiring the rest of the women to also commit Jauhar. Just before the Jauhar scene, there are some brilliant scenes which show the women fighting the enemies, by hurling hot coals on the enemies, disorienting them.
Wouldn’t the Queen have done something similar? And died after giving a tough fight? But, just running to commit suicide when the men are still fighting the enemy is unacceptable. When the movie ends, you leave the theater with just the memory of Deepika walking upto the funeral pyre. Everything else in the movie is forgotten. People walk out of the theater with grim expressions and in silence.
And I really do not want the girls and women to remember just that scene in the whole movie where they were so helpless without the men that they had to run to commit suicide. Indeed very sad.
Did you watch the movie and liked it? What did you think about the movie?
After the chaotic Weekend, I write The Week that Was.. where I talk about random, unrelated things that happened during the week.
Hot cup of Kaapi 