Ashdoc's movie review---Panipat

ashdoc

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The movie showcases the third battle of Panipat , which was fought between the forces of the Maratha empire led by Sadashivraobhau and the afghan troops led by their king Ahmad Shah Abdali in the mid eighteenth century . Abdali had come to loot India several times before , but this time he was confronted by the marathas .

Sadashivraobhau was the cousin of the peshwa of the marathas , and he is played by Arjun Kapoor . He is reluctant to get married , but is constantly wooed by Parvatibai who is a practitioner of herbal medicine, played by Kriti Sanon . Their love story has been well built up , and Kriti has produced the best performance in the movie acting wise and she really stands out .

Also well brought out are the jealousies in the peshwa's court , where the peshwa's wife is uncomfortable with bhau's growing stature . But after he defeats the Nizam of Hyderabad at udgir , bhau's position becomes too big to ignore and attemps to sideline him to other duties come to a naught when Abdali invades India and his henchman Najib ud daula kills a maratha general . Bhau is elected general of the army that is sent north .

Bhau has great reliance on the artillery that he has acquired by bringing to his side Ibrahim Khan Gardi , the nizam's commander . They are huge cannons capable of smashing fortifications and prove their use in the coming campaign by destroying bastions of Delhi and Kunjpura . As the army moves north Bhau stiches a host of alliances . But they unravel as the battle comes close , especially with the jat raja Suraj Mal . Also the nawab of awadh joins Abdali and Najib over appeals of common religion . And bhau's co religionist kings in north India prove traitors at the last moment . That is why the movie has the suffix---the great betrayal .

The moves and countermoves of the rival forces and the chase up and down opposite sides of the yamuna river because it is flooded due to excessive rains and cannot be crossed ; all has been well picturised . Ultimately it comes to battle at panipat in today's haryana . Abdali is played by Sanjay Dutt and menacing music is played wherever he makes his appearance . But Arjun Kapoor is more effective as Bhau .

The battle has been shown in some detail and I liked the way in which it has been picturised . There are some good fighting scenes and aficionados of war movies will appreciate them . The boom of cannon balls , the clash of gleaming swords , the firing of muskets , the throwing of spears at enemy troops and the marksmanship of archers is shown well . Some cinematic liberty has been taken but that is expected .

The sight of maratha royals dancing and singing is there ; it is now expected from bollywood , though in real life warriors and their wives don't dance . The movie has some grandeur in scenes of the peshwa's court and in the rich clothes and tents of maratha royals . The saffron colour of hinduism makes it's appearance in flags and turbans of the soldiers . Their is even a fictional meeting between the heavily bearded Abdali and bhau , though in real life they never met .

The battle results in defeat for the maratha forces and slaughter of it's chiefs and many soldiers , but the movie says that Abdali lost so many soldiers that he admitted in a letter to the peshwa that bhau was the finest warrior that he ever fought . The movie shows a crestfallen Abdali never invading India again , something that is not fully true . He did invade the Punjab again , but was gradually driven out by the Sikhs who benefitted from the losses he suffered in the great battle .The marathas marched on Delhi again within ten years and captured it , so they recovered from the defeat .

Photography is good and colours of the movie are very decent . Songs and background music is decent too , and so is the acting by everyone . As a marathi I must appreciate the history of my people being brought to the silver screen in finery and colours .

Verdict---Good .

Three and a half stars out of five .
 
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Longewala

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The movie showcases the third battle of Panipat , which was fought between the forces of the Maratha empire led by Sadashivraobhau and the afghan troops led by their king Ahmad Shah Abdali in the mid eighteenth century . Abdali had come to loot India several times before , but this time he was confronted by the marathas .

Sadashivraobhau was the cousin of the peshwa of the marathas , and he is played by Arjun Kapoor . He is reluctant to get married , but is constantly wooed by Parvatibai who is a practitioner of herbal medicine, played by Kriti Sanon . Their love story has been well built up , and Kriti has produced the best performance in the movie acting wise and she really stands out .

Also well brought out are the jealousies in the peshwa's court , where the peshwa's wife is uncomfortable with bhau's growing stature . But after he defeats the Nizam of Hyderabad at udgir , bhau's position becomes too big to ignore and attemps to sideline him to other duties come to a naught when Abdali invades India and his henchman Najib ud daula kills a maratha general . Bhau is elected general of the army that is sent north .

Bhau has great reliance on the artillery that he has acquired by bringing to his side Ibrahim Khan Gardi , the nizam's commander . They are huge cannons capable of smashing fortifications and prove their use in the coming campaign by destroying bastions of Delhi and Kunjpura . As the army moves north Bhau stiches a host of alliances . But they unravel as the battle comes close , especially with the jat raja Suraj Mal . Also the nawab of awadh joins Abdali and Najib over appeals of common religion . And bhau's co religionist kings in north India prove traitors at the last moment . That is why the movie has the suffix---the great betrayal .

The moves and countermoves of the rival forces and the chase up and down opposite sides of the yamuna river because it is flooded due to excessive rains and cannot be crossed ; all has been well picturised . Ultimately it comes to battle at panipat in today's haryana . Abdali is played by Sanjay Dutt and menacing music is played wherever he makes his appearance . But Arjun Kapoor is more effective as Bhau .

The battle has been shown in some detail and I liked the way in which it has been picturised . There are some good fighting scenes and aficionados of war movies will appreciate them . The boom of cannon balls , the clash of gleaming swords , the firing of muskets , the throwing of spears at enemy troops and the marksmanship of archers is shown well . Some cinematic liberty has been taken but that is expected .

The sight of maratha royals dancing and singing is there ; it is now expected from bollywood , though in real life warriors and their wives don't dance . The movie has some grandeur in scenes of the peshwa's court and in the rich clothes and tents of maratha royals . The saffron colour of hinduism makes it's appearance in flags and turbans of the soldiers . Their is even a fictional meeting between the heavily bearded Abdali and bhau , though in real life they never met .

The battle results in defeat for the maratha forces and slaughter of it's chiefs and many soldiers , but the movie says that Abdali lost so many soldiers that he admitted in a letter to the peshwa that bhau was the finest warrior that he ever fought . The movie shows a crestfallen Abdali never invading India again , something that is not fully true . He did invade the Punjab again , but was gradually driven out by the Sikhs who benefitted from the losses he suffered in the great battle .The marathas marched on Delhi again within ten years and captured it , so they recovered from the defeat .

Photography is good and colours of the movie are very decent . Songs and background music is decent too , and so is the acting by everyone . As a marathi I must appreciate the history of my people being brought to the silver screen in finery and colours .

Verdict---Good .

Three and a half stars out of five .
This is an improvement over the typical bolywood fare:A
"bdali lost so many soldiers that he admitted in a letter to the peshwa that bhau was the finest warrior that he ever fought . The movie shows a crestfallen Abdali never invading India again.... The marathas marched on Delhi again within ten years and captured it , so they recovered from the defeat ."

Brings home the point that battles may be won or lost but bring well prepared and armed has no substitute.

Also the need for unity amongst dharmics, because the mlecchas will be. Though was partly the Marathas own faultin this battle.
 

A chauhan

"अहिंसा परमो धर्मः धर्म हिंसा तथैव च: l"
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The movie showcases the third battle of Panipat , which was fought between the forces of the Maratha empire led by Sadashivraobhau and the afghan troops led by their king Ahmad Shah Abdali in the mid eighteenth century . Abdali had come to loot India several times before , but this time he was confronted by the marathas .

Sadashivraobhau was the cousin of the peshwa of the marathas , and he is played by Arjun Kapoor . He is reluctant to get married , but is constantly wooed by Parvatibai who is a practitioner of herbal medicine, played by Kriti Sanon . Their love story has been well built up , and Kriti has produced the best performance in the movie acting wise and she really stands out .

Also well brought out are the jealousies in the peshwa's court , where the peshwa's wife is uncomfortable with bhau's growing stature . But after he defeats the Nizam of Hyderabad at udgir , bhau's position becomes too big to ignore and attemps to sideline him to other duties come to a naught when Abdali invades India and his henchman Najib ud daula kills a maratha general . Bhau is elected general of the army that is sent north .

Bhau has great reliance on the artillery that he has acquired by bringing to his side Ibrahim Khan Gardi , the nizam's commander . They are huge cannons capable of smashing fortifications and prove their use in the coming campaign by destroying bastions of Delhi and Kunjpura . As the army moves north Bhau stiches a host of alliances . But they unravel as the battle comes close , especially with the jat raja Suraj Mal . Also the nawab of awadh joins Abdali and Najib over appeals of common religion . And bhau's co religionist kings in north India prove traitors at the last moment . That is why the movie has the suffix---the great betrayal .

The moves and countermoves of the rival forces and the chase up and down opposite sides of the yamuna river because it is flooded due to excessive rains and cannot be crossed ; all has been well picturised . Ultimately it comes to battle at panipat in today's haryana . Abdali is played by Sanjay Dutt and menacing music is played wherever he makes his appearance . But Arjun Kapoor is more effective as Bhau .

The battle has been shown in some detail and I liked the way in which it has been picturised . There are some good fighting scenes and aficionados of war movies will appreciate them . The boom of cannon balls , the clash of gleaming swords , the firing of muskets , the throwing of spears at enemy troops and the marksmanship of archers is shown well . Some cinematic liberty has been taken but that is expected .

The sight of maratha royals dancing and singing is there ; it is now expected from bollywood , though in real life warriors and their wives don't dance . The movie has some grandeur in scenes of the peshwa's court and in the rich clothes and tents of maratha royals . The saffron colour of hinduism makes it's appearance in flags and turbans of the soldiers . Their is even a fictional meeting between the heavily bearded Abdali and bhau , though in real life they never met .

The battle results in defeat for the maratha forces and slaughter of it's chiefs and many soldiers , but the movie says that Abdali lost so many soldiers that he admitted in a letter to the peshwa that bhau was the finest warrior that he ever fought . The movie shows a crestfallen Abdali never invading India again , something that is not fully true . He did invade the Punjab again , but was gradually driven out by the Sikhs who benefitted from the losses he suffered in the great battle .The marathas marched on Delhi again within ten years and captured it , so they recovered from the defeat .

Photography is good and colours of the movie are very decent . Songs and background music is decent too , and so is the acting by everyone . As a marathi I must appreciate the history of my people being brought to the silver screen in finery and colours .

Verdict---Good .

Three and a half stars out of five .
Didn't expect this from Arjun Kapoor movie but ashdoc ging 3.5 stars is enough recommendation. Will watch it for sure.

BTW Ashutosh Gowarikar is a fine director I always have high expectations from him, this movie had dubious reputation because of the starcast but... lets see.
 

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