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I was recently watching an interview where the interviewer tells Ranveer's Singh that Alauddin Khilji does have moments which display that his feelings for Padmavati aren't just lust. I think it was the interview with Faridoon Shahryar.
Would love to see everybody else's take on his relationship with Mehrunisa and his "feelings" for Padmavati.
Does anyone else agree? If so, can you give examples from the movie that gave you that impression?
There is another interview of Faridoon Shahryar with AditiRao Hydari where she mentions that there is love between Allaudin Khilji and Mehrunisa.
Her response about how she sees "love" between the two of them (I.e. Allaudin Khillji and Mehrunisa) reminds me of Michael Fassbender's response when asked about Epps relationship with the slave girl Patsy in "12 years a slave". It was in an interview with Charlie Rose for the movie "12 years a slave", where when Michael Fassbender was asked what he thought about Epps's relationship with the slave girl Patsy, he says that Epps clearly had feelings for Patsy but he was so disgusted with himself for falling for a black slave that, in order to destroy or bury that love he feels for her, he lashes out at her with violence and abuse.
I really fail to see how abuse or rape is a sign of love. Allaudin Khillji kills Mehrunisa's dad, doesn't give a damn that she might be mourning and rapes her in the scene right after he's killed her dad. To top it all, he places her dad's head impaled on a spear for everyone in his court to see, including her! If anything, I actually interpreted it as a sign that he WANTED Mehrunisa to see her dad's head, just to mentally break her. It's a form of psychological abuse and he had clearly done that to get a personal kick out of her anguish, heartbreak and pain!
I think a lot of the times, actors or actresses taking on these roles want to humanise the monstrous characters that they have to play or interact with even if that wasn't the director's take on the character or even if it wasn't a part of the script. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ranveer Singh in this movie! If Padmavati is the spirit of the movie, Allaudin Khillji is the heartbeat! And I absolutely agree that Allaudin Khillji is quiet layered in the movie...he does have different shades to himself...but "heart of a lover" is something I will agree to disagree with. As an audience, that is something that I never felt coming from him.
Maybe if they put in a scene or two of him and Mehrunisa having or sharing an emotionally intimate moment, then the "heart of a lover" comment would make more sense. But they barely share that many moments and the ones that they do, tend to involve him bullying her or being dismissive of her in some way. There is not a single scene where you get the feeling, as an audience, that he felt something for her that was anywhere close to love or affection.
That being said, I do agree that she does end up winning his respect (not love!) in the end because going up against Allaudin Khillji takes courage and grit and for someone as delicate-looking on the outside as Mehrunisa, she is clearly strong on the inside in her own unique and feminine way. Love that about her! And can clearly see why he decided to imprison her instead of killing her where she stands!
Would love to see everybody else's take on his relationship with Mehrunisa and his "feelings" for Padmavati.
****Posted this in error in the Padmavati BO review thread but realized that this topic deserves a thread of its own. ****
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