The Tragedy of Padmaavat
Far too much has been written and said about this film. However, when I finally watched Padmavat today, I was left with the most crushing feeling of oppressive sadness.
I actually quite enjoyed the movie. It was interesting, a magnificent spectacle (I've always loved Sanjay Leela Bhansali's opulence), amusing in parts (the insanely funny over dramatization of the headless Rajput warriors swinging their swords), slow in some but largely entertaining. I loved how beautiful Deepika looked with the septum ring, how absolutely gorgeous kaajal on Shahid Kapoor was, how brilliantly Ranveer Singh acted and how ethereally Aditi Rao Hydari had been transformed by the Bhansali hand.
What I couldn't accept was the demonization of Muslims and the only explanation I could give myself to make it easier for me to tolerate it, was that it was shown to polarize the audience's opinion. Leading them to think that there was no better option than jauhar in the end, for the women, who were being treated abominably by the on-screen, savagely depicted Khilji.
What I also found disturbing was the fiery speech about choosing satya and dharma by "balidaan" of the Rajputani kangan wearers. But I really can't think of what else those women could possibly believe that would make them willingly burn to death. And I think that's the reason why I can't seem to get rid of my sadness. It was just so true for those women at the time, to convince themselves of the pride and honor in dying a terrible death. And while people are screaming about the glorification of jauhar and sati in the film, I can only see the deeply disturbing psychology of the proud Rajputana, which is definitely not endorsed here but has to be seen, to understand why these women thought burning to death was still a better option than living- probably taken as slaves after being raped or murdered or if they miraculously managed to escape, survive in a deeply misogynistic society where patriarchy was so willingly internalized.
I actually quite enjoyed the movie. It was interesting, a magnificent spectacle (I've always loved Sanjay Leela Bhansali's opulence), amusing in parts (the insanely funny over dramatization of the headless Rajput warriors swinging their swords), slow in some but largely entertaining. I loved how beautiful Deepika looked with the septum ring, how absolutely gorgeous kaajal on Shahid Kapoor was, how brilliantly Ranveer Singh acted and how ethereally Aditi Rao Hydari had been transformed by the Bhansali hand.
What I couldn't accept was the demonization of Muslims and the only explanation I could give myself to make it easier for me to tolerate it, was that it was shown to polarize the audience's opinion. Leading them to think that there was no better option than jauhar in the end, for the women, who were being treated abominably by the on-screen, savagely depicted Khilji.
What I also found disturbing was the fiery speech about choosing satya and dharma by "balidaan" of the Rajputani kangan wearers. But I really can't think of what else those women could possibly believe that would make them willingly burn to death. And I think that's the reason why I can't seem to get rid of my sadness. It was just so true for those women at the time, to convince themselves of the pride and honor in dying a terrible death. And while people are screaming about the glorification of jauhar and sati in the film, I can only see the deeply disturbing psychology of the proud Rajputana, which is definitely not endorsed here but has to be seen, to understand why these women thought burning to death was still a better option than living- probably taken as slaves after being raped or murdered or if they miraculously managed to escape, survive in a deeply misogynistic society where patriarchy was so willingly internalized.
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