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\nAshutosh Gowariker may not be able to do grandeur like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but he can do war. Yet, a lacklustre cinematography and terrible CGI mars this solid attempt. It would have worked 10 years ago.<\/br>
\nBack in 1994, Sanjay Khan directed The Great Maratha for Doordarshan. For most of us, it was the first visual depiction of a battle that could not be won with flying arrows that emit electricity, as we saw in BR Chopra\u2019s Mahabharata or Ramanand Sagar\u2019s Ramayana. That, and Jhansi Ki Rani, the Varsha Usgaonkar-starrer, which also reigned in the 90s.<\/br>
\nNearly 25 years later, Ashutosh Gowariker\u2019s Panipat tugs on those nostalgia strings. He has everything that we saw in The Great Maratha, which could have been an advantage, given we lap up everything 90s these days. The problem, however, is that our eyes are also 25 years mature. And now, Gowariker\u2019s presentation seems lacklustre, borderline cartoonish due to terrible CGI work, and eventually, just not magnanimous enough.<\/br>
\nAll the comparisons with Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat the Panipat trailer had to face right after its release are justified. But in Gowariker\u2019s defence, Maratha warriors dressed alike, so Ranveer Singh\u2019s Bajirao and Arjun Kapoor\u2019s Sadashiv Rao Bhau look similar (also, Sadashiv was Bajirao’s nephew). Kriti Sanon\u2019s Parvati Bai will remind you of Priyanka Chopra\u2019s Kashi Bai. For she cannot be seen wearing Alexander McQueen, can she?<\/br>\n<\/div>\n