~PADMAAVAT UPDATES THREAD # 3 - AMAZON PRIME RELEASE 27TH March - Page 65

Despite all the talk about Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epic Padmaavat, it seems that the film and the story about the film itself has gone under the radar. The latest dialogue promos will certainly change that. Featuring the three major characters of the film, the two promos carry enough punch to emphasise the intense drama, power, and grandeur that Bhansali's film contains.

While the trailer offered a summary of the main conflict of the film, it did not delve into any major dialogues. These promos fix that. The first one, featuring Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji captures the madness, ecstasy and delirium with which the conqueror functioned.

The promo begins with Khilji declaring his purpose by saying 'We Khiljis once had a dream, to watch our flag wave across the world.' It captures the burning ambition of Khilji that leads him to the fort of Chittor. However, it is here that he comes in conflict with the immovable force of Rawal Ratan Singh played by Shahid Kapoor, who announces "Tell your sultan, that the suryavanshis of Mewar have more iron in their hearts than he has in his sword."

The first promo ends with the two kings facing each other off, with a quick glimpse of a one-on-one battle that reminds us of Troy (2004). But it also captures the scale of the war, and the manic frenzy of the performance Singh puts in. With a scarred face, ferocious eyes, and a crazed laugh, the actor looks a different animal.

The second promo revolves around Deepika Padukone's Rani Padmavati and Shahid Kapoor's Rawal Ratan Singh. The visuals slowly trace the origin of the romance, with Padmavati shown as saving Ratan Singh's life from an arrow wound. While there are some glorious visuals filled with colour and decor, there is a glimpse of the queen. The scene of Kapoor's Ratan Singh throwing a dagger at an invisible person behind a curtain, to save his Rani Padmavati is a curious one. Another scene of curiousity is a mean looking Khilji surrounded by swords on all sides.

Despite appearances, this promo belongs to Padukone's courageous Rani Padmavati who gets the meatiest lines (forgive the metaphor).

As Chittor lies besieged, she announces 'Asuron ka vinaash karne devi ko bhi gad se utarna pada tha' (To kill the demon, even the goddess had to leave her fort). This perhaps refers to the incident where Padmavati saves Rawal Ratan Singh from the captivity of Khilji's army.

In all, the two promos definitely capture the courage and valour of the Rajputs, while also creating a vast, dramatic universe that Bhansali has recreated in the film. With the release date edging closer, and the Supreme Court decision, it is time the conversation returned to the content of the film, rather than its controversy.