After seven years, the initial glitz of the visually stunning Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Bajirao Mastani has somewhat worn off, and we’ve come to realise that it was such a good film that it convinced us to believe in a very problematic narrative. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s obvious chemistry aside, the film’s well-written screenplay and Priyanka Chopra’s beautiful performance made the messed-up plot of this movie seem palatable at first glance.
Let’s revisit this film and see why its storyline would not fly in any other context, least of all qualify as a great love story.
Table of Contents
First of all, Bajirao initially rebuffs Mastani’s advance
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
This whole romance is the result of cultural misunderstandings. Bajirao gives Mastani a dagger after fighting alongside her in a battle, to show how impressed he was with her skills on the battlefield. But, in Mastani’s culture, presenting a dagger is supposed to symbolise marriage, so naturayy, she misunderstands his gesture. As a result, she follows this married man to his kingdom and tries to pursue him.
The minor confusion here could easily be remedied with a conversation to clarify things. But that’s not what happens. When Bajirao tells her he’s married and that this is not a good idea, she still decides to stay because she believes they are in love. This obsessiveness is borderline stalking, no matter how softly Mastani recites shayari to justify it.
We need to talk about the idea of losing one’s dignity in love
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
There is a portion in the film where Bajirao tells Mastani that she will be subjected to a lot of derision from the court and society if they take things forward as a couple. If we look at it from the perspective of pursuing our wishes regardless of society’s rigid rules, that makes sense. But, if we look at it from the perspective of a woman being subjected to denigration in the name of love, it’s quite sad. Is this an ideal love story, then?
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
If Mastani was your friend, would you tell her it’s a good idea to pursue a married man who may or may not want her, irrespective of the disdain she has to endure because of it?
If Mastani wasn’t a beautiful princess, would this still be a love story?
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
We need to address the elephant in the room, which is the double standard at play here. We’ve all seen that meme which says that if 50 Shades Of Grey involved a poor man living in a trailer park, it would be a Criminal Minds episode, not a love story. This isn’t dissimilar.
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
Mastani is a beautiful princess who pursues this married man. He initially turns her down, but later gets persuaded. Are we really going to pretend that in this narrative, Mastani’s wealth and beauty aren’t at least partially responsible for this change of heart? If we, as an audience, weren’t so sold on Ranveer and Deepika’s chemistry, we would probably never buy this storyline’s plausibility.
Adultery needs to stop being glorified as love in films
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
The biggest reason this “love story” needs a reality check is that it makes cheating seem rather rosy, as if betraying your partner’s trust will necessarily end in you finding a great love of epic proportions. But as we saw in Gehraiyaan, adultery is complex, murky, and entangles the emotions of many people involved, bringing out their worst sides.
Credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
Bajirao is so in love with his wife Kashibai initially. We are supposed to just accept that he is justified in waking up one morning and deciding to cheat on her with a new beautiful woman? That’s not a love story. If anything, the only one who deserves glory here is Kashibai, whose dignity and strength in the face of such disrespect are admirable.
So, behind the candlelit palaces, opulent costumes, beautiful actors, and poetic dialogues lies a painful tale of longing, unfaithfulness, and infatuation. Let’s call it what it is.
Lead image credit: Bhansali Productions, Amber Entertainment, Eros International
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