Goliyon Ki Raasleela — Ram-leela is the latest from Sanjay Leela Bhansali and is unabashedly lusty, but there is not a single frame which you can label as vulgar (it’s brilliantly colourful; in fact too colourful at times). Violence without gore and filled with raunchy, cheeky straight-hitting dialogues (there are no double-entendre here), the grandeur and the spectacle is all there. What’s missing is the soul, and it fails to touch ones too!
Ram (Ranveer Singh) and Leela (Deepika Padukone) are madly in love and they don’t hesitate to take on life’s challenges.
Unfortunately both belong to warring clans — Rajadi and Sanera — neighbours in a fictitious place called Ranjaar in Gujarat, India. Their feud spans over five centuries and both clans thrive by smuggling contraband, manufacturing and trading in lethal weapons in the guise of doing business in spices and salt.
The tone of the story can be gauged when the to-be son-in-law, a geeky archeologist, asks Supriya Pathak, the matriarch, what does the family do for a living. With her menacing eyes, wicked grin and matter-of-fact voice she says, “Smuggling, shooting, killing,” and tosses a pistol at him welcoming him into her family. The poor guy doesn’t know what hit him.
As Bhansali states in the film credits, Ram-leela is inspired by the Bard’s Romeo Juliet, the tragic climax is a foregone conclusion. But the film has more shades of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet (1996). Though the balcony meeting of the two lovers remains the same the swords are replaced by guns. The added Indian touch is the beautifully choreographed dance sequences.
Ram wants to bring an end to the feud with an appeal to end the 500 years of dushmani, live peacefully and flourish together in business. Taking matters into his own hands on the festive day of Holi, he arrives unnoticed at Sanera’s locality and encounters Leela. Throughout the 155 minutes of the film you feel the couple celebrating passion and love. They aren’t bothered about the severe friction between their families or the violence surrounding them.
You can’t help but smile through their brazen escapades, of stealing moments of togetherness on Leela’s balcony.
Ram-leela certainly isn’t in the same class as Black, Guzaarish, Khamoshi or even for that matter the complete romantic caper Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Bhansali has never handled violence or brash sexuality, and here he goes over the top. He thrives on opulence and every frame is picture perfect. The colours are coordinated down to the last stitch on the bed linen or the carpets. The villagers are shown to be quite tech-savvy — mobile phones, tweets, sleazy CD video parlours and other modern-day amenities. The problem is everything is too perfect and that is what is so irritating. It’s as though Bhansali has spent all his energy in a perfect visual film and in so doing has forgotten to put some heart into it.
Though we have Deepika and other women attired in a typical Gujarati ghagra choli, they are all contemporary designer wear. Ranvir, though, is seen with a typical long moustache, long hair and on many occasions his head is covered with a turban. He is also seen here in unbuttoned shirts revealing his well-sculpted torso. Both the leads deliver superb performances: they look good, they dance extremely well (Deepika said she had trained for two months to get her steps right and it shows) and they are comfortable in the romantic scenes. The supporting cast comprising Supriya Pathak, Richa Chadda and Barkha Bisth has done an excellent job as well.
Special mention must be made here of cinematographer Ravi Varman (Barfi, Armaan). The film celebrates love, passion and colours and Varman’s camera beautifully captures every frame as it happens. Every hue looks vibrant: the Runn of Kutch and the waters of Udaipur’s palace have never looked so beautiful. It’s a pity the same cannot be said for the music by Bhansali and Monty Sharma. Watch Goliyon Ki Raasleela — Ram-leela as a celebration of passion. — Surekha Kadapa-Bose
