RAAM LEELA : movie review

Bhansali is a mad director! But there is synchronized methodology to his madness.So even though the film is over populated with rowdy humorous ‘below the belt’ jokes, some lame dialogues (‘You are a lover, I m a killer’) and some brain hammering bullets and fire shots amidst cramped lanes and alleys, you are bound to your seats because Bhansali keeps the film spectacularly engaging with its opulence until the end.

His eye for detailing and his sheer aestheticism deserves applaud, for instance, the inner quarters of the women folk are heavily inspired by Ketan Mehta’s ‘Mirch Masala’, the scenes between the lovers are elegant keeping the Indian exotica on mind like the cawing peacocks perched on the tree branches of a Victorian style garden and balconies where the lake shining in the moonlit night is adorned by the blooming lotuses (ref : Romeo-Juliet, the famous Balcony scene, Act II, Scene II), an earthen diya emitting sensuous arousal smoke prequel to the passion play, (but mind you, the director doesn’t get over indulgent with the love making scene!)

Ravi Verma’s paintings (sp. Vindyavaasini and the ‘bored housewives’) embellishing the chamber walls, Gujarat’s sweeping picturesque landscape(do not miss the early morning beautiful shot of the Kutch), some hauntingly beautiful gujrati folk songs in the background (‘Mor Bani Thanghat kare’ deserves special mention), and the delight of watching the intricate detailing that has gone into the costumes, jewelries (top notch) , the art design and of course the cinematography (courtesy Wasiq Khan’s dazzling sets and Ravi Varman’s blazing camerawork), the use of textures, multi chrome glass frames, colors (thankfully, he refrains from using black and blue this time!) keeping the individual shots in mind, the eternal carnival of songs and dance (some brilliant garba steps).

Bhansali brings the best out of all his supporting actors and few scenes are noteworthy specially the meeting between the two clans with Leela as the mukhiya. With Bhansali on the director’s seat you know you cannot get away with a faulty performance, so that’s top notch here from all the actors, but a very very special mention to Supriya Pathak. She is stunning!! As the fearless madame of the house, a lady ogre in all her jeweled, kohl-eyed glory, at times hilarious with her broken English with the ‘accent’ and at times the ruthless woman who does not refrain from breaking her own daughter’s finger by using a Betel nut cracker with relish, she is a delight onscreen! Same goes for Richa Chaddha, as the widowed sister in law, she’s all fire and feisty (a bit more detailing into the molestation act could have been better!)

The problem with the film is that with most of the screen space being reduced to the clannish, outrageous violence between the Rajadis and Sanedas, the love story which should have been the focal point here(specially when we are inspired by Shakespeare!) takes a complete back seat. The director didn’t give much time for the lovers to develop their romance on you. So you might enjoy their corny antics, because they don’t look into each other’s eyes and talk about stars and moons and living together for the next 7 births, instead, sans any personal heart-to-heart connection, they infuse more physical comfort in enacting their furious intimacy! hence, somehow you won’t shed a tear for this tragic couple at the end! ! Once they meet amidst guns and colors, their eyes connect, they swing to an impromptu garba, and the next you know, our skirt chasing Romeo whose only source of income is via a neon-lit porn film video parlor , finds his way straight into the inner chambers (read antarmahal!) of our damsel Juliet! Its always a pleasure to watch an SLB film,he still remains one of my favorite film maker of our times, but somewhere i terribly, terribly missed another Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Khamoshi or a Devdas!!