The war between the December 18 releases Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale has become rather intense of late. So it is perhaps appropriate that the full-length trailer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s swords-and-dhotis epic Bajirao Mastani opens on the battlefield. A love triangle between Bajirao Peshwa (Ranveer Singh), his wife Kashi (Priyanka Chopra) and the warrior-dancer Mastani (Deepika Padukone) is as visually sumptuous as can be expected from a Bhansali production. We are in Mughal E Azam territory via Devdas, with the affair between Bajirao and Mastani causing problems for the royal court and photogenic headaches for the loyal Kashi. The trailer is packed with slow motion, tracking shots, aerial views, computer-generated war scenes, costumes that are destined to be copied for some years to come, Ranveer Singh in ultra-macho mood, Deepika Padukone in the classic mould of the tragic epic heroine, and Priyanka Chopra as the scene-stealer behind the billowing curtains. Many of the images in this trailer were a part of the teaser that came out a few months ago. If Bhansali has any more tricks, they are nestled deep inside his scabbard.
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