Bajirao Mastani

Story:

Bajirao Mastani is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romance film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who co-produced it with Eros International and composed its soundtrack. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra with Tanvi Azmi, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi, Milind Soman, Mahesh Manjrekar and Aditya Pancholi in supporting roles. Based on Nagnath S. Inamdar’s Marathi novel Rau, Bajirao Mastani narrates the story of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I (1700–1740) and his second wife, Mastani.

PLOT

In 1720, the court of Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu needs a new Peshwa, the equivalent of a prime minister. Ambaji Pant Purandare nominates a young Bajirao. As a test, Bajirao is asked to split a peacock feather with an arrow. He succeeds and is given the Peshwa title. Ten years later, his wife Kashibai is visited by her widowed friend Bhanu, whose husband, accused of spying, was ordered to be executed by Bajirao. She predicts that just as she yearns for her husband, Kashibai will yearn for Bajirao.

While travelling to Sironja, an emissary from Bundelkhand requests Bajirao’s help to fight invaders. She reveals herself to be Mastani, the daughter of the Hindu Rajput king Chhatrasal and his Persian Shia concubine Ruhani Begum. Impressed by her skills as a warrior, Bajirao assists her with his army and defeats the invaders. Chhatrasal is overjoyed and insists Bajirao to spend Holi with them. Mastani and Bajirao fall in love during this time and he gives her his dagger, unaware that it is a symbol of marriage among the Rajputs. Back home in Pune, Kashibai greets Bajirao with a tour of their newly built Shaniwar Wada and the Aaina Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), which allows her to see him from her room.

Determined to pursue her love, Mastani arrives in Pune but is treated harshly by Bajirao’s mother Radhabai and accommodated in the palace for dancers,[4] as Radhabai refuses to accept her as a daughter-in-law. Mastani tolerates this and adamantly expresses her desire to be with Bajirao; Bajirao chides in her persistence, reminding her he is already married and will never fully be hers; his court will also never respect her. Mastani agrees to these conditions so Bajirao declares her his second wife.
The Marathas prepare to attack Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire, but must first ensure the Nizam, the Muslim ruler of Hyderabad, will not attack them. Bajirao leaves to confront the Nizam, Qamar ud-Din Khan, and returns successful.

Through her Aaina Mahal, a pregnant Kashibai sees Bajirao embracing Mastani, who is also expecting. Heartbroken, she leaves for her mother’s home, and returns months later with her newborn son, who is named Raghunath. Mastani also gives birth to a son, named Krishna Rao. After the Brahmin priest refuses to conduct the Hindu naming ceremony on the grounds that Krishna Rao is illegitimate, Bajirao renames his son Shamsher Bahadur, deciding he will be raised Muslim. A few years later, Kashibai and Bajirao’s eldest son Balaji Baji Rao, known as Nana Saheb, returns from Satara and expresses his hatred of Mastani for breaking his mother’s marriage.

Kashibai is informed of a plan to murder Mastani and her son during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. She saves Mastani by relaying this to an unaware Bajirao, who promptly rescues them. To keep Mastani safe and grant her a royal home, Bajirao builds a palace for her. He later leaves for the battlefield to defeat Nasir Jung, the vengeful son of the Nizam. Before leaving, he meets Kashibai in deference to the tradition that the wife see her husband into battle. In tears, Kashibai explains that Bajirao broke her heart and took her pride in what he has done, and compares their love with that of Krishna and Rukmini. She asks him never to enter her chamber again, and a teary-eyed Bajirao accepts, apologising for hurting her.

Once Bajirao leaves, his mother and Nana Saheb imprison Mastani and her son. After Bajirao receives the news, he singlehandedly defeats Nasir Jung’s army in his rage but is grievously injured. At Bajirao’s deathbed, Kashibai sends a letter pleading with his mother to release Mastani so that he recovers. Nana Saheb burns the letter, though Mastani’s son is set free. Bajirao, delirious from his illness, hallucinates and dies as Kashibai helplessly watches; at the same time, Mastani dies in captivity. The ill-fated lovers are united in death.