Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela

The story, set in a land of guns, is about Ram (Ranveer Singh), the local village Romeo, who is a colourful and dramatic charmer, and Leela (Deepika Padukone), who is an unrestrained and passionate village Juliet. However, their families have been sworn enemies since the past 500 years. When Ram and Leela see each other for the first time, they commingle as if it was always meant to be and love blooms in full blush. But with this, their communities collide, wars are fought and destinies are written in blood.

The first pleasant thing about this caper from Sanjay Leela Bhansali is that he’s back among those trademark bright and vivid colours of his. After some rather depressing setups in “Saawariya” and “Guzaarish”, you’re treated with grand colourful sets and invigorating score that bring to life each small nuance. While the mise-en-scène is yet again in a fictional location, the overall feel is cheerfully animated.

Now, to the best part of this film – the love story between Ram & Leela. The portrayal is raw, and dramatically genuine. When you’re attracted to someone, it isn’t cleanly poetic, but actually erotic. Voyeurism dictates your moves and acts, and real passion is mostly aphrodisiacal. This is exactly how Sanjay Leela Bhansali puts it on screen. The intimate scenes are steamy, stimulating and aesthetically shot. You literally feel the blaze whenever the leads are together on-screen. You simply can’t take your eyes off them. But it’s the aspect outside of this love story that turns you off, and is, at times, pure boring. The screenplay gets messy with the over-indulgence of the maker, continuously pushing the drama towards pointless sub-plots. In my opinion, this plot needed little diversion from the sensually pleasing romance saga. Sometimes situations get draggy, choreographed and even unconvincing.

The length of the film is another sore spot in a film which is definitely a very novel take on the Shakespearean drama, and deserved a lot more. The music is a great supplement to the plot and it only adds to the whole creation. Each song is an emotion and a poetry in motion. Technically, the film scores high, be it visuals, acts, or the pleasing harmonies.

The performances are top-notch too. The leads, as I said, set the screen ablaze with their sizzling chemistry and uninhibited display of genuine emotions. Deepika impresses with yet another inspiring act, only displaying the high maturity level she’s achieved in the short time she’s spent in this industry. Ranveer Singh is full of energy, as usual, and gives a wonderfully dramatic performance. The one other actor that shines bright is Supriya Pathak, who, with her brilliance, makes a very unconvincing character relatable. All others play their parts well, although there exist a lot of otiose characterizations.

In all, ‘GOLIYON KI RASLEELA RAM-LEELA’ is an intense tale of love that’s spoilt by its divergence and over-indulgence. Nevertheless, definitely worth a watch!