Bajirao Mastani Reviews by Critics

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Average critic ratings of other movies released in 2015

• Hate Story 3 – 1.7 stars
• Tamasha – 3 stars
• Prem Ratan Dhan Payo – 2.7 stars
• Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 – 2.6 stars
• Jazbaa – 2.6 stars
• Singh Is Bling – 2.3 stars
• Shaandaar – 2.2 stars
• Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon – 2.17 stars
• Katti Batti – 1.94 stars
• Calendar Girls – 1.77 stars

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Bajirao Mastani Review by Indicine

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The pacing is perfect in the first half and the story is convincing for most part, but it’s the ending that came as the biggest disappointment. It’s abrupt and all the momentum gathered throughout the film, drops quite considerably towards the end. Also, when you walk out of the cinema hall, you end up feeling more for Kashibai than the other two characters.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Taran Adarsh on Bollywood Hungama

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BAJIRAO MASTANI is Bhansali’s most ambitious project to date. The love story, the conflict, the dramatic altercations, the battle sequences and of course, the ostentatious setting… BAJIRAO MASTANI is an enthralling period film that transports you to an era you had only read about in the history books. At the same time, Bhansali introduces the on-screen characters and the sequence of events with utmost simplicity so that the enthusiastic spectator is able to get the grip of the goings-on effortlessly.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies

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Bajirao Mastani is watchable primarily because of the craft that is on view in the pretty frames lit meticulously by cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee. The characters allude repeatedly to the sky, to the sun and the moon, to the clouds and to the elements in general in the stodgy first half.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times

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With Mastani’s scarcely recorded history, Bhansali had a beautiful premise of a love story that has never been explored onscreen. However, he makes it a tiring affair: Laden with the burden of self-indulgence and dramatic “dialoguebaazi”, the film drags on at its own sweet and laid-back pace.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani is in essence the story of Bajirao and Mastani. The director’s ode to undying love does make you pine for that kind of an extraordinary story, which can show the thumb to the shackles of worldly trivialities. Bhansali takes a leaf out of history, and crafts it into an exquisite tale. And all the participants in this orchestra are in tune with the conductor, despite the occasional out-of-note keys.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Manjari Saxena on Gulfnews

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Also the film falls short on several accounts. First of all, it seems confused whether it should be a romance or historic film, swerving between Bajirao wanting to be the famous warrior and the eternal lover. Second, is its pace. The film hardly moves in the first hour or so, picking up speed only after the intermission – in fact it seems a little rushed in the second half. Third, the visual effects, though plenty, lack the punch of say, even, a Bahubali. Fourth, the music by Bhansali can at best be described as “sweet” and not something that anyone would listen to very often, and is a disappointment compared to that from his Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Ram-Leela. If you listen carefully, you’ll find one tiny piece in the introduction seemingly “inspired” from Game of Thrones.

Review by Shishir Gautam on Nowrunning

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Just wish that he had used as much talent and time in completing his screenplay. A rather stretched film, Bajirao Mastani is exciting till midpoint. Beyond that there is an evident lack of steam, which fizzles out by the end. The end is way to convenient and yet scattered. And he often resorts to the songs, as ever, without purpose.

Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies

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Bajirao Mastani has been made on a grand scale and the sheer opulence itself is worth the ticket price. There are just two war scenes in the film, but they have been shot beautifully. Of course, the film is sure to draw flak for its inaccurate portrayal of the Peshwa era, but as mentioned earlier, it is advised to keep that aside in order to enjoy a larger-than-life, tragic love story, which doesn’t need an item song or steamy kisses or raunchy scenes to put its point across. Indeed, Bhansali has ensured that the names Bajirao and Mastani deserve a place in the list of doomed lovers like Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranjha and Shirin-Farhad.

Review by Preeti Kulkarni on Bollywood Life

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Bajirao Mastani has been adapted from a classic called Rau by NS Inamdar and the movie takes us to the grand and powerful pages of Maratha history, marked by the brave and valiant Peshwas. This is a dramatic account of the most powerful Peshwa of all time, Bajirao Ballal and takes us through his life checkered by numerous conquests he won for his empire and of course, his eternal love story which was till now shrouded in secrecy. The story is truly engaging, mesmerising and keeps you interested till the end. Those who know a bit of the Maratha history or have read this book already, they would love to watch this visual treat, thanks to its gorgeous frames and the way its lead actors breathe life into their characters. The story is old and you may find some references from Mughal-E-Azam and Jodhaa Akbar but it truly captivating to enter into Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s world and re-live this era.

Review by Shubhra Gupta on Indian Express

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But soon enough, you tire of all the showiness. 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. What it ends up being is a costume drama: too many costumes, too much revved-up, empty drama, and too little story.

Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India

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Bhansali, in the two-and-half hour narration, transports you to a unique and stunningly beautiful world of Wadas and aayina mahal, Maharashtrian nathanis co-existing with ghunghroos and the traditional Pinga dance given a glamorous twist.

Review by Kusumita Das on Deccan Chronicle

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A melodramatic climax aside, the film is undoubtedly a quality product, Bhansali always ensures that. But what makes it fall just short of excellence is the lack of the journey within. We never get inside the characters, especially Bajirao’s, a man who is caught in the fierce dilemma between the heart and the state. We only see the events unfold on screen one after another. It is Bhansali tipping his jewel-encrusted hat off to an epic love story in Maratha folklore. But a glimpse of the mind would have made the picture complete.

Review by Srijana Mitra Das on The Times Of India

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The end, by the way, is marvelous. Where the first half looks fabulous but slightly far-off – like watching an opera from seats high in a theatre’s skies – the second half mesmerizes. Post-interval, Bhansali imbues every frame with epic, precise passion. His question – what should religion do? Tear us to bits? Or bring us closer? – frames an end that is frightening, beautiful and powerful.

Review by Raja Sen on Rediff

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Sadly, this is when the characters have just about found their feet and are longing for drama, but Bhansali — favouring obsessively choreographed dance sequences over a plotline — denies them this, making sure actors and audience are mired in limbo.

Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India

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Sanjay Bhansali has lovingly conceived and executed a film he has been wanting to make for over a decade. It is challenging to take a chapter from history from a few decades ago and make it interesting for modern audiences, but SLB pulls it off. It may not be by-the-book history but what a feast for the senses. The grandiose spectacle draws you into the world of kings and warriors, mere seconds into the film. The battle scenes, the dialogues, the passion, even the saas-bahu skirmishes are all right on the money. There is beauty and sensuality aplenty to leave breathless. Bajirao Mastani is a treat for the heart, not the head. The visuals and the performances are brilliant. Watching Ranveer Singh as Bajirao as like eavesdropping on a man who lived in another time. His language –words and body are spot on. His triumphs and his tears seem all too real. In the 90’s all actresses wanted to work with Yash Chopra, as he presented his heroines as these beautiful creatures. SLB has taken over. Deepika looks ethereal. She is pitch perfect throughout. And a brilliant supporting cast.

Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham

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Deepika Padukone as Bajirao’s second wife Mastani, is good but could have been better. Priyanka Chopra as Bajirao’s wife Kashibai passes muster. But there is more these girls could have done performance wise. Something ‘authentic’ in the dialogue delivery and body language is lacking. There is that ‘it’ factor that they fail to put in, which Ranveer pumps in gleefully.

Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali, that visual wizard, gives us beauty in every frame. You feel transported to another world, as you soak in the Aaina Mahal, the ornate chandeliers, beautiful fountains, the sheer ostentatious beauty all around. But that cannot make up for the lack of emotional connect to the story and characters. Bhansali is utterly unsubtle whether it is visually (which works) and when it comes to drama (doesn’t work).

Review by Dhriti Sharma on Zeenews

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Without any boundaries and stepping back, SLB has worked his best entirely, in presenting to his audiences, the best of cinematic experience. The movie has a firm ground holding and has therefore risen to sky heights with its message and creativity. An outright outshining piece of art made unblemished, sprinkled with sincerity and discipline of acting—this love folklore will restore the drama lovers, back in their ‘expectation’ block.

Review by Rajeev Masand on IBNLive

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There are a few things one has come to take for granted in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film: a stunning visual aesthetic, immaculately choreographed songs, and an imposing sense of scale. His latest, Bajirao Mastani, doesn’t disappoint on any of those counts. This sweeping period piece, set in the early 18th century, focuses on a forbidden romance that consumed Bajirao Ballal Bhat, a brave general credited with expanding the Maratha Empire and winning every one of the 41 battles he fought. But the film also suffers from a condition one might describe as ‘Bhansali-it is’ – the tendency to be melodramatic, over-long, and highly indulgent.

Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror

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Bhansali has often been criticised to be a maker obsessed with presentation, even compromising on content (at times) in the bargain. But his excessive opulence is warranted here and having 1000 extras, elephants, horses etc in every scene, be it an aarti or welcoming the warrior on his victorious return, lends this film a cinematic edge.

Bajirao Mastani Review by Indiaglitz

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The movie however does fall flat in a few areas. The first half being slow paced, the second half has too much weep and is extremely fast paced. It is however the climax that has been made too filmy and is disappointing. The cinematography is awesome and so is the editing. The songs are ok and do not impress us much. All in all, Bajirao Mastani is a sure shot watch for all its elements including the storyline, the visuals and the mind-boggling performance by the cast. Do not afford to miss this one.

Review by Githa Vanan on Bollyspice

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Then there is the characters too. For a general, that is so disciplined, it seems a little absurd to see Bajirao celebrating his victory with a naach-gaana situation. Next came Kashibai. As demure as she may have been, you would expect a little more drama when your world is shattered by another woman entering your husband’s life and kingdom. At least the intelligent Kashi is not reduced to pathetic stereotypes so it’s a consolation. But the character that surprises you for the lack of depth who actually has a significant role is Bajirao and Kashibai’s elder adolescent son, Nanasaheb (Ayush Tandon). The years seem to flow in the film which can be accepted but there is no mention of the character till near the end. If it weren’t for the amazing moments between the principle cast and Bajirao with both his mother and his brother’s confrontation, the emotional connect would have lacked severely.

Review by Meeta on Wogma

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The time lapses were distracting too. Too many times, the narrative moved from one character to another without a smooth flow. Looks like Mr. Bhansali had a lot more shot and had to be cruel on the editing table. Another distraction came with the Marathi words thrown in, isn’t it just fine that they are speaking in Hindi in a Hindi film? Then there was the preachy closing – why-o-why? Of course, even when put together these aberrations are not huge enough to take away from what’s good about the film. Magnificent visuals apart, Bajirao Mastani might be a version of history that I wish is true.