SPECTACULAR VOYEURISM

GOLIYON KI RAASLEELA : RAM-LEELA

DIRECTOR : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

CAST : Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak, Richa Chadda, Barkha Bisht Sengupta, Abhimanyu Singh, Gulshan Devaiah

DURATION : 155 minutes

The viewer's desire to watch films usually stems from a compelling interest to either identify with what we see on screen, which is the reality of contemporary cinema; or, to positively and affirmatively alienate ourselves from what we see there, which may skid into the fantastic and 'larger than life' aspect, showing the hollow sham that our lives are, thus celebrating an escape from it, and also, alternatively, providing us a unique mode of escapade, - engaging and making us spellbound to the extent that we forget we are watching a story altogether, and definitely, the very alienation that took place when the film began.

"GOLIYON KI RAASLEELA : RAM-LEELA" is a uniquely curious mix of all these aspects. A few minutes into the film, and you get sucked so deep inside it, beginning to identify with the characters and their romantic drama that you forget everything else surrounding it. The love story is so intense, passionate and earthy that it keeps you rooted inspite of the fact that you get so swayed by the intrinsic tale of love and romance. This lends a strange exclusivity to the film despite the fact that the tale is wholly that of one of the most 'done-to-death' and routine formulae of Bollywood.

But it is at this point that Bhansali's skill as a craftsman begins exercising its powers. Loosely inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", as the opening credits claim, the director sets his plot in a village in Gujarat, home to perhaps the most violent and ferocious group of people. The clan conflict that assumes a large dimension in the film, the very crucial backdrop holding importance in posing hindrances to the unity of the lovers, is enacted in such shudder-inducing and chilling terms that an element of novelty is immediately added to the film, as it is nothing that has been brought forth in such grand terms in Bollywood before this, and certainly not on such large a scale. The sheer horror that grips one, and the wincing at the extent of violence portrayed in the film, has surely not been the same before. Believe it or not, it is this particular element that adds an element of authenticity regarding the film in the psyche of the viewer.

Talking of grandeur (and this is particularly what we know Bhansali for), the film shows the extent of planning and dedication that must certainly have gone into it. Each scene is carefully crafted and seems straight out of a canvas painted using poster color. Exquisitely designed and perfect in setting, nothing at all remains to be said on this ground, and it is impossible not to praise the spectacle that ensues as a result of it. Which is not to forget that the natural setting of Rajasthan-Gujarat, the Rann of Kutch and the Thar Desert (or replicas of them) work as perfect modes of carving the sense of aestheticism that we associate with the film, which obviously adds to beauty of each frame.

The characters are equally well fleshed out and rendered not as passive recipients of their predestined fates, but as possessing an active agency in making their own destinies. Both Ram (Ranveer Singh) and Leela (Deepika Padukone) exhibit this Calvinistic sense in their performances as the title characters. Both play their parts to perfection, and put in praiseworthy performances from start to finish. While Ram is the hero unabashed about everything, from an exhibition of his love to his own sexuality, Leela is equally antithetical to the coy, dainty and feminised heroine we have been accustomed to in Bhansali's cinema. The superb chemistry between the two adds to the conviction of the viewers regarding the plot moves and the narrative adopted. Another noteworthy aspect of the film is how the supporting cast does not only have characters as mere puppets or functions in the film, but rather, adds to the character portraits emerging from the film. Each member of the supporting cast puts in a memorable performance, a special mention of the staunchly matriarchal Dhankor Baa (Supriya Pathak Kapur) as Leela's mother, who puts in yet another stellar performance of her career, from whom the viewer could have asked for nothing more.

The music, Bhansali's own, is also catchy and does stay with you for quite some time after the film is over. While "Tattad tattad" is possibly the quirkiest introductory song I have heard in a long, long time, "Nagada Dhol" embodies the radicalism and defiance associated with Leela's character. "Lahu munh lag gaya" and "Ang laga de" are typically romantic tracks, intense and engaging in their own ways. Priyanka Chopra is quite a surprise with the sultry number, "Ram chahe Leela", which commands instant attention.

Unfortunately, no project is free from its own quota of flaws. And this film ain't any exception. While the story seemingly speaks of an age much older than the present day, the radicalism of the characters seems unbelievable, with the number of kissing scenes, constant barging into rooms through the balcony, use of mobile phones for communication in even a remote village in the country where even law and order have not been able to adequately reach, bequeaths a modernity unexpected totally. Add to that Leela's impeccable English (with the correct accent), and you have some flaws here and there, perhaps elements of magic realism, that may escape the eye of the viewer, but not the critic.

What is particularly apparent at the level of analysis is the viewer response to the grand, voyeuristic spectacle which is what the film is all about from the beginning to the end. Be it the bloodshed, the colors, the body-show of Ranveer, the kisses, the dances, costumes, or the item number, Bhansali seems to want us to dispel alienation of all kinds, and invite us into a world where he urges us to 'gaze', to look at it in the manner he depicts it as. We, the viewers, are, in the process, reduced to a pair of eyes, quite literally,.to gain pleasure from the enactment of the grand spectacle we see on screen, which is precisely what voyeurism is all about. The intimacy of the lovers, the erotically suggestive, charged moments of bloodshed, bonding and love-making is what we encroach upon as viewers. The film, then, at the end of the day, takes us into that universe, inviting us to lend insights into the unfolding of the narrative, the closed, intimate and concealed galaxy of privacy and seclusion which is what the film seems to be unraveling with each passing moment on celluloid.