Dec. 18, 2015|India|158 Min.|Not Rated
Genre: Bollywood;History;Romance;War
Description: In the early 18th century, the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shahu appointed a young man named Bajirao as his new Peshwa, a role equivalent to a prime minister. To prove his worth, Bajirao demonstrated his skill by splitting a peacock feather with an arrow. Ten years later, his wife Kashibai received a visit from her widowed friend Bhanu, whose husband had been executed on Bajirao’s orders. Bhanu warned Kashibai that she would eventually yearn for Bajirao, just as Bhanu longed for her late husband.
During a journey to Sironja, Bajirao encountered an emissary from Bundelkhand seeking his help to fight invaders. The emissary revealed herself as Mastani, the daughter of the Hindu Rajput king Chhatrasal and his Persian Muslim consort, Ruhani Begum. Impressed by Mastani’s warrior skills, Bajirao assisted her and defeated the invaders. Overjoyed, Chhatrasal invited Bajirao to celebrate Holi with them, during which he and Mastani fell in love. Unknowingly, Bajirao gave her his dagger, a symbol of marriage among the Rajputs.
Upon returning to Pune, Kashibai welcomed Bajirao and showed him their newly constructed Shaniwar Wada palace and the Aaina Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), which allowed her to observe him from her room.
Mastani, determined to be with Bajirao, arrived in Pune but faced harsh treatment from Bajirao’s mother, Radhabai, who refused to accept her as a daughter-in-law. Mastani was housed in the palace for courtesans but remained steadfast in her love for Bajirao. Despite his warnings about the challenges of their relationship and his existing marriage, Bajirao eventually declared Mastani his second wife.
As the Marathas prepared to attack Delhi, Bajirao ensured the Nizam of Hyderabad would not oppose them and successfully negotiated with Qamar ud-Din Khan. Meanwhile, Kashibai, pregnant, witnessed Bajirao embracing Mastani through the Aaina Mahal and left for her mother’s home heartbroken. She returned months later with her newborn son, Raghunath.
Cast director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast actor: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Tanvi Azmi, Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Milind Soman, Aditya Pancholi, Ayush Tandon, Rudra Soni
Original name: बाजीराव मस्तानी