Why the Padmaavat trailer is anything but epic

Historic, yes; memorable, not really

A Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie isn’t a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie if it’s devoid of OTT.

It’s the same amount of OTT and epicness I always look forward to adding to my work. (Buy/download, read, and review my first book, PiKu & ViRu, here—it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited!)

So, when the official trailer for Padmaavat was out, I was expecting the same amount of grandeur that had painted the canvases of Devdas and Bajirao Mastani.

However, after the 3-minute-10-second clip ended, I was left grossly disappointed.

Not only does the film look underwhelming in the special-effects department, especially compared to Bajirao Mastani.

It also lacks the signature Bhansali opulence that has come to define his movies over the years.

There aren’t any memorable one-liners too.

Ranveer Singh looks menacing, but I wonder if it’s too much for one negative character. It’s like every permutation and combination of evil has been thrown into just one role.

The worst part is that Deepika Padukone, who plays the titular character, fades into the background in front of the two leading men, never mind her elegant attire, beauty, and grace.

The best thing about the clip was Shahid Kapoor. He’s brought an understated, calming quality that is soothing to the senses in an otherwise intense trailer.

All I can do is hope that the film is devoid of these issues.

While there’s no doubt Padmaavat is going to rule the box office, given the dry spell in Hindi cinema this year, and possibly even pick up the Best Film trophy at numerous award shows, it still needs to be perfect to write history the way it wants to.

Here’s the trailer: