Welcome back to the Midweek Movie Marathon where this week, I took my first steps into the world of Bollywood.
I have never watched a Bollywood movie before, but in my efforts to expand my film viewing, I felt it necessary. For those unfamiliar with Bollywood, it is the largest film industry in the world and is primarily based in Mumbai, India. Bollywood films are usually presented in Hindi due to it being the most spoken language in India. They also include elaborate costumes and set designs as well as a combination of action, drama and especially romance. A staple feature of Bollywood is the inclusion of lots and lots of dancing and singing to enhance the storytelling.
The movie I watched for my foray into Bollywood was Padmaavat. It’s a fictional story that takes place in medieval India, about Queen Padmavati who married the prosperous King of Mewar and lived a decently content life. That was until an ambitious and deadly Sultan heard of her beauty and became obsessed with taking her.
The plot was more nuanced but you get the gist of it.
Throughout the film it switches from the Sultan, Alauddin and his plans to take the fortress and the King trying to do what is best for his people.
I liked the story, although I felt that there needed to be some more concrete reason for Alauddin’s obsession with Padmavati. I understand that she is beautiful, but I don’t think just hearing her name would drive someone to take an entire army to win her. The acting was pretty good, and I thought that it had just the right amount of drama to keep me entertained.
My favorite part of the movie though was the set and costume designs. It was absolutely gorgeous and brilliantly colorful, and the dresses were fantastic. I just loved it. It was like a festival for the eyes.
On the contrary, I hated the VFX. There was an ostrich at the beginning and honestly, it looked demented. The animals were so odd looking that it distracted me from reading the subtitles.
Also it couldn’t possibly be a Bollywood movie without the singing and dancing. I forgot about that important aspect of Bollywood until it graced my screen, and I was not disappointed. I had no clue what they were singing about, but it sounded nice and the dancing was synchronized and beautiful. I was incredibly taken aback when Allaudin started singing though. I wasn’t prepared, and in retrospect, I should have been.
In general, I thought this was a really great introduction to Bollywood. The film itself, while not being in my top films, was worth my time. Would I watch Bollywood again? Probably. I want to try different subgenres to see what they are like and given how huge the industry is, I’m sure I’ll find something for me. For anyone interested in Bollywood, this is a good movie to get you started as well. I would rate Padmaavat a solid seven out of ten.
