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| Kriti Sanon as Parvati Bai, Panipat. |
On one side, mounted Swivel guns on Camels, sharp-shooting Jezails, light artillery - all under the alert and watchful eyes of 'Dur-i-Durrani' Ahmed Shah Abdali, and on the other side, heavy artillery cannons arrayed and distant piligrims watch in anticipation as an avalanche of 'Har Har Mahadev' chants erupt - for a few fleeting moments, the film offered a stellar lesson in detail and accuracy, at least in terms of military history. Alas, India of 18th Century, to comprehend in a simple romantic sense, requiring more than a few people to be 'villainized' - if it was Malharrao Holkar for the largely ignorant & arrogant Rudyard Kipling, for Ashutosh Gowarikar, it was an array of historical liberties - Raja Surajmal, Ahmed Shah Abdali & Najib ud Dowla (both caricatured), Imad Ul Mulk etc,.
Panipat comes with a warning - it is a fictional retelling of the events leading to the third battle of Panipat (14 January 1761 CE), and right from the word go, unsurprisingly, there has been a great focus on Maratha Pride. The court intrigues and bloated egos of men (and women, too) who could not really comprehend the bigger picture is, in an intellectual contrast, brilliantly explained from the view-point of Parvati Bai. And, in bits and pieces, the film does not disappoint.Yet, it seems to lack a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
At least, a honest attempt was made to tell a certain view of the events leading up to the battle - hitherto only a forte of history students. Arjun Kapoor, despite the negative publicity was good. Kriti Sanon essayed her part well. Almost all other roles, especially non-Marathas served only as simple caricatures. The music was inspiring. But, the CGI in the limited battle scene wasn't so good.
Overall, I've enjoyed Panipat, but I will not be surprised if most people may not like it.
Panipat (2019) - Hindi by Ashutosh Gowarikar
