Padmaavat- A tale of Durga v/s Mahishasura (Part 2)

June 15, 2018

Padmaavat- A tale of Durga v/s Mahishasura (Part 2)

In the previous post, I wrote about Padmavati's character traits. Here I will write about some of special moments regarding Padmavati in the film. I really loved the way Padmavati was introduced when she comes to Chittor after marrying Ratan Singh. Her eyes were hypnotizing. Deepika chose to speak with her eyes and my god, she was so brilliant. She truly looked like a Goddess.

Her performance as Padmavati is testament to her unbelievable range as an actress. I always say this and will keep saying it forever, Deepika’s journey as an actress is very inspiring. Padmavati will always remain as one of her top 5 performances in my opinion.

In this post I will talk about some of my most favourite scenes of Padmavati.

The first scene is when Ratan Singh proposes her for marriage. And look at how he proposes her. He says “Humare saath Mewar chalengi Padmavati, humari patni banke?” (Will you come to Mewar, as my wife?). This line itself is evident to show Ratan Singh’s love, importance and respect for Padmavati. He is asking her permission as supposed just expressing his feelings or declaring it with pride, which could have been a possibility given the fact he was a king and her guest. I have never come across a sequence in any other film where a king is requesting a princess of other state for marriage, in this manner. Padmavati doesn’t say a word but expresses so much with her eyes. Her eyes turn beautifully red and are filled with tears. She expresses her joy, happiness, catharsis and surprise. It’s as if she felt, ‘this is what I was waiting for!’ In short, in a true SLB style she accepts his proposal. Even Ratan Singh is emotional. May be this what love used to be in those days, this is how two lovers would communicate. Even the bgm here does wonders. A typical SLB type bgm follows to a scene where Padmavati is descending down the staircase of the cave which is beside a huge Buddha statue. She sits at one place and her tears roll down her cheeks from her eyes. She is now ecstatic and overwhelmed.

Buddha is a symbol peace, happiness and purity. She feels all these aspects with Ratan Singh, moreover she loves him immensely, from the moment when her arrow mistakenly pierces through his heart. Since then, she takes care of him, like wife does to her husband or vice-versa, gifts him Singhal ke moti (Sinhla’s precious pearls) which he desired for. She does all those things that a lover does for his/her love. She is in love and he is too, with her. Thus, Padmavati is not only strong and fearless but emotional, liberated and a bold woman who had no qualms in admitting her love for the man to the world. Just like Mastani, Padmavati too dances for her love (in Ghoomar), celebrates festivities with him (eid in bajirao Mastani, holi in Padmavati), heals his pain ,wounds and marries him.

Singhal ke moti

Ghoomar

I belive SLB has a fascination for such free-spirited, brave beauties or he sees these qualities in women generaaly and henceforth imbibes these facets in most of all his female characters. Paro, Nandini, Chandramukhi, Leela, Mastani, Kashibai, Mehrunisa and Padmavati might have different stories but admirably, are very similar by nature.

Nandini

Paro

Chandramukhi

Leela

Mastani

Kashibai

Mehrunisa

Padmavati

A special mention to the bgm of the above discussed scene. SLB loves the beats of Veena, especially in his bgms (again he draws huge inspiration from Mughal-e-Azam for these beats). In Bajirao Mastani, when Bajirao arrives at Mastani’s place after defeating the nizam, Mastani runs towards him, we see as she is running down the stairs, a beautiful veena bgm score is played. Similarly, in Padmaavat when Padmavati walks down the stairs of the cave in happiness, we hear a lovely veena bgm score here too. This kind of bgm is signifies the happiness of the lover as her love is either accepted or acknowledged.

When Bajirao arrives at Mastani's place to celebrate eid

My second and most favourite scene is when she is being examined by Raghav Chetan at Chittor’s temple. Raghav Chetan lusts after her just by having a mere glimpse of her. “alaukik saundarya hai aapka” (your beauty is divine), he says. To which Ratan Singh retorts proudly “saundarya hi nahi, gunn aur samajh ki bhi dhani hai humari rani sa” (Not just beauty, she’s blessed with skill and intelligence too). To which Raghav Chetan asks “toh chhoti rani ke jeevan mein kya adhik mehtva rakhta hai, roop ya gunn?” (So, what is more important for the queen, skill or looks?).

Here is the conversation between Raghav Chetan and Padmavati during the test.

To which Padmavati says: Gunn (skill)

Raghav Chetan: aur roop? (And looks?)

Padmavati: woh toh dekhne wale ke aankhon pe hota hai (That lies in the eyes of the beholder)

Raghav Chetan: arthat (meaning)

Padmavati: kisi ko patthar mein shivling dikhta hai aur kisi ko shivling mein bhi patthar (Some see god in every object while some see god as another object)

Raghav Chetan: Jeevan ka varnan 3 shabdon mein (describe life in 3 words)

Padmavati: amrit, prem, tyaag (spirituality, love, sacrifice)

Raghav Chetan: prem kya hai? (What is love?)

Padmavati: ishwar ki aankhon mein ubhara hua khushi ka aansun (the tear of joy falling from god’s eyes)

Raghav Chetan: aansun kya hai? (What are tears?)

Padmavati: sukh aur dukh ki hadd (a thin line between happiness and sorrow)

Raghav Chetan: sukh kya hai? (What is happiness?)

Padmavati: brahm (An illusion)

Raghav Chetan: suna hai yudh-neeti ki bhi jaankaar hai (I’ve heard you’re well versed with the art of warfare too)

Padmavati: ji (yes)

Raghav Chetan: rannbhoomi mein sabse bada shastra (What the greatest weapon in the battlefield?)

Padmavati: himmat (courage)

Raghav Chetan: jeevan ki sabse kathin ghadi (what is the most difficult moment in life?)

Padmavati: pareeksha ke baad parinaam ki (Awaiting results after examination)

Raghav Chetan: aur sabse badi bhent (And the biggest gift?)

Padmavati; Aashirwaad (blessings)

ishwar ki aankh mein ubhara hua khushi ka aansun

Ashirwaad

This scene also defines Padmavati’s life in general. When we are introduced to Padmavati in the film, we see her as a huntress, again SLB emphasizes on her skill over looks (beauty). Even during ghoomar, it’s her dancing skills that are showcased in the song along with her beauty. As discussed in the previous post, her biggest skill is her having the warrior like instincts. Her beauty might be divine, but it’s her skills and intelligence that leave a mark in the annals of history.

Also, when she describes love as the tears of joy in god’s eyes made me go back to the scene where Ratan Singh proposes to Padmavati for marriage. She has tears in her eyes. In that scene itself, SLB establishes that she is equivalent to or an incarnation of ishwar (Goddess Durga specifically in the film).

The writing of such scenes(and there are many in this film) is splendid. Raghav Chetan's test was not only of Padmavati’s intelligence but also an attempt by Raghav Chetan to peek into her mind. His last reaction after all the answers show that he not only impressed by her beauty and presence of mind but courage too. He realizes she is not just an ordinary woman. “woh ghoonghat mein chhipi aag hai, har talwar par likha jeevan ka raag hai” (Her beauty it radiates far and beyond, she is the essence of life) tells Raghav Chetan to Khilji while describing her beauty. In later posts, I digress more into Raghav Chetan's character.

Woh ghoonghat mein chhipi aag hai

My other favourite scene is when she debates with Ratan Singh over his decision of inviting Khilji to Chittor over lunch. It’s only her who sees this truce meeting as a trap. “jo aadmi 6 mahinon se tapte rann mein baitha hai, who apri shart maanega hi maanega” (Why would a man sitting under such scorching heat in the desert not accept your conditions?) When Ratan Singh says he doesn’t think so, Padmavati replies by saying “bhagwaan Ram ko bhi kahan laga thi ki Raavan saadhu ke bhes mein aaya tha” (Lord Ram also never thought that Raavan will be disguised as a sage). I believe by this time, Padmavati felt that times are not going to be easy in future. Also, Shahid's expressions were amazing here.