Panipat
Ratings: 3.5/5
Duration: 2 Hrs 53 Mins
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Genre: Historical, Action, Drama
Release Date: 06 December, 2019 (India)
Star Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Monish Bahl, Padmini Kolhapure, Suhasini Mulay, Zeenat Aman, Kunal Kapoor, Ravindra Mahajani, Gashmeer Mahajani, Nawab Shah, Mantra
Plot: The movie is based on the Third Battle of Panipat that took place between the Marathas, who were the most powerful empire in the whole India during the 18th century and the king of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali.
The Maratha Peshwa orders Sadashiv Rao Bhau (Arjun Kapoor) to stop the Afghan King Ahmad Shah Abdali (Sanjay Dutt) as he plans to take over India, thus leading to the battle between the two armies.
Review: Panipat has all of it in abundance! The film mounts on lavish sets, spectacular locations, larger-than-life characters and narrates the complex politics of the period, as well as also weaves in the love story between Shadashivrao Bhau and Parvati Bai.
The love story portrayed between Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, is one of the high points of the film. Arjun Kapoor gets under the skin of the character seamlessly and has delivered a sincere performance. He shines both in the final war sequence and the romantic scenes. Kriti Sanon on the other hand, pulls in an effortless performance with a well-etched out character graph, though the Marathi accent and dialect doesn’t suit her well.
Whereas, Sanjay Dutt channelizes a menacing act effectively and looks strikingly similar to Ranveer Singh’s Khilji from Padmaavat in his introductory scene. And among the supporting cast, Mantra shines as the baddie. Mohnish Bahl as Nanasaheb Peshwa is powerful but gets limited screen time. Padmini Kolhapure and Zeenat Aman impresses playing that slightly layered character.
Panipat has balanced the war and the political manipulations with beautiful choreography and well-synchronized dance sequences. Even if song-and-dance appears to be a misfit in the situation, it adds grandeur and are well choreographed.
The sets and production design by Nitin Chandrakant Desai and the costume design by Neeta Lulla are breath-taking. Also, the sound design and the visual effects blend in seamlessly to give an authentic setting to the periodic film
However, it is in the final battle set in 1761, where the enormous effort that has gone into the making of the film comes to the fore. It is elaborate, gripping and keeps you on the edge and one that arouses goose bumps!
The war scenes are some of Arjun Kapoor’s best shots. But with a run-time of almost three hours it becomes lengthy and at times, tedious to watch. However, ‘Panipat’ a significant chapter in history applauds the unshakeable bravery, courage and the strong principles of the Marathas.
