December 18 was a very busy day at the box office for the folks in India and across the world. The Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer, Dilwale went head-to-head with Sanjay Leela Bansali’s latest, Bajirao Mastani, starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padakune and Priyanka Chopra.
According to the numbers in the opening weekend so far, Dilwale has earned a massive 9.22 crore overseas on the first day. Bajirao Mastani has garnered a slightly better 12.08 crore in India. Which makes you wonder if the biggest Star Wars event and film did anything to dent those numbers in any way. Aside from all those galactic, hardcore fans, that shouldn’t stop folks from walking into a theatre to watch a couple of quality and entertaining Hindi films.
Dilwale’s story has been kept secret for quite some time, until now. What may surprise many is that Rohit Shetty’s stereotypical approach to his films has been diverted into a new territory. Sure you have the Shetty signatures with blowing up cars and exaggerated comedy scenes, but he’s decided to revolve his story around romance and love. Without spilling out spoilers, the film is about two drug lords whose families Shah Rukh and Kajol come from, and how they resolve the conflict to realise that true love binds them throughout time.
Bajirao Mastani is not just a popcorn blockbuster of a film. There is actually more substance in this than Bansali’s beautiful aesthetics. In fact, some folks have gone as far to say this is Ranveer’s best peformance, while Deepika and Priyanka shine with their own roles. The film is an adaptation of a classic called Rau by NS Inamdar. The film takes us into the grand and powerful pages of Maratha history, marked by the brave and valiant Peshwas. To be more specific, this is a story about the most powerful Peshwa of all time, Bajirao Ballal with this conquests and eternal love story shrouded in secrecy.
