Ranveer ,Deepika, Priyanka starrer Bajirao Mastani’s first poster revealed

In July 2015, Bollywood fans got their first look at a film that had waited more than a decade. It was Bajirao Mastani, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The first poster did not show a single face. It showed a rider on a horse, a fort, and a date. That was enough to start a storm online.

This article looks back at that poster launch. It then covers the film, the cast, how it was made, how it did at the box office, and what historians say about the real story. The facts come from news reports of that time, from The Indian Express and Business Standard, and from the film’s Wikipedia page.

The First Poster of Bajirao Mastani

The poster came out in the middle of July 2015. Ranveer Singh shared it on Twitter. His tweet carried the line “A storm is coming” and the film’s name as a hashtag. The tweets are dated 14 July 2015, and news sites reported the poster on 15 July.

None of the stars appeared on it. The poster showed the back of Ranveer Singh. He sat on a horse, with flags flying in the wind. He looked at what seemed to be a fort. It also carried the release date, 18 December 2015.

The makers kept the look of the cast hidden on purpose. Fans had waited for a very long time. The mystery added to the buzz.

The Teaser and the Salman Khan Link

Ranveer Singh also announced that the teaser would come out on Thursday, 16 July 2015. The film’s page on Wikipedia says the teaser ran for three minutes. It had only one line of dialogue. Reviews called it grand and colourful.

The teaser was also shown in cinemas. It was attached to Salman Khan’s film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which opened on 17 July 2015. Business Standard reported this at the time. Priyanka Chopra turned 33 that weekend. She tweeted that the news was her “best present ever”.

Who Is in the Film?

The film stars three leads.

• Ranveer Singh plays Bajirao I, the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. A Peshwa was the chief minister of the Maratha ruler.
• Deepika Padukone plays Mastani, his second wife.
• Priyanka Chopra plays Kashibai, his first wife.
• Tanvi Azmi plays Radhabai, the mother of Bajirao.

Other cast members include Milind Soman, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi and Mahesh Manjrekar. Irrfan Khan lent his voice as the narrator.

The film is made by Bhansali Productions and Eros International. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone had worked with Bhansali before, in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). Fans were glad to see the pair together again.

A Dream Project That Took Years

Bhansali had thought of this story long before. He announced the film in 2003, but it was put on hold more than once. The cast kept changing. At that time he had picked Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor for the main roles. The plan fell through.

He revived the film in 2014. In July 2014, it was confirmed that Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra would play the leads. Filming began on 9 October 2014 in Film City, Mumbai. It ended in October 2015, after 217 shooting days.

The film is based on Rau, a Marathi novel by Nagnath S. Inamdar, written in 1976. Bhansali worked with the historian Ninad Bedekar while preparing it.

Sets, Costumes and Effects

The team built 22 sets in Film City. The biggest were copies of Shaniwar Wada, the palace in Pune, and the Aina Mahal, or Hall of Mirrors. The Shaniwar Wada set used 45,000 planks and took 45 days to build.

Anju Modi and Maxima Basu designed the clothes. Priyanka Chopra wore nine-yard saris, known as nauvari saris. Weavers from Maheshwar, Chanderi and Varanasi made many of them. Real zari and gold wire were used in the costumes.

The film has about 1,400 visual effects shots. Even so, most of it was shot on large, detailed sets. The main war scene had 800 extras, 500 horses and 25 elephants. It was filmed over 20 days near Jaipur.

How the Stars Prepared

The actors trained hard before filming. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone learned sword fighting, horse riding and Kalaripayattu, an old martial art from Kerala. Singh also learned Marathi and shaved his head for the part. Priyanka Chopra spent 15 days learning the Peshwai Marathi dialect of that era. Tanvi Azmi shaved her head as well.

Ranveer Singh has said that the role was draining. He asked the crew to call him Bajirao on set, to help him stay in character.

Music and Promotion

The soundtrack was composed by Bhansali himself. It has ten songs, with singers such as Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh. Eros Music released the album on 31 October 2015. The full trailer came out on 20 November 2015.

The makers also tried new ways to reach fans. They put out a graphic web series called Blazing Bajirao in November 2015. A video game with the same name followed in December.

Release and the Clash with Dilwale

The film came out on 18 December 2015. On the same day, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s film Dilwale also opened. The makers of Bajirao Mastani said they had booked the date a year earlier. The clash got a lot of attention. The two films had to share about 5,000 screens in India. Bajirao Mastani got roughly 40 per cent of them.

The film came out on DVD and Blu-ray on 18 March 2016. Its television premiere was on Colors on 23 April 2016. Today it is a common pick for viewers who like big period dramas.

How the Film Did

The reviews were strong, though not all critics agreed. Some praised the sets and acting. Others found it too long or too heavy on costume and drama.

At the box office, the film earned over Rs 356 crore worldwide, against a budget of Rs 145 crore. That made it the fourth highest grossing Hindi film of 2015. The first week brought in about Rs 84 crore nett in India, according to Box Office India figures. It won seven National Film Awards, including Best Director for Bhansali and Best Supporting Actress for Tanvi Azmi. At the 61st Filmfare Awards, it won nine awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Ranveer Singh. Priyanka Chopra won Best Supporting Actress.

Who Were the Real Bajirao and Mastani?

Bajirao I lived from 1700 to 1740. He was a Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and a well known military leader. Mastani was his second wife. Beyond that, little is known for sure.

Historians say the love story is mostly shaped by later writing. One historian, Prachi Deshpande, notes that the public fascination began in the 1890s. Marathi plays then turned the pair into star-crossed lovers. The first such play was written in 1892 by N. B. Kanitkar. This was more than 150 years after they died.

Accounts of Mastani’s background also differ. The film shows her as a warrior princess from Bundelkhand, the daughter of King Chhatrasal. Another account describes her differently. The film’s credits carry a note that it does not claim to be historically exact.

Some scenes drew debate. Descendants of the family objected to two dance songs, “Malhari” and “Pinga”. A petition in the Bombay High Court asked for a stay on the release. The court did not interfere. Bhansali has said the film is his view of how Bajirao may have been at home. He added that nobody can know for sure.

More on Indian History and Cinema

To learn about the empire behind the story, read our guide on the Maratha Empire. For another big Bollywood release of that summer, see our Bajrangi Bhaijaan movie reviews. You can also read about the Forbes list of highest paid Bollywood actors. Our piece on how Indian cinema has shaped culture adds more context.

FAQs About Bajirao Mastani

When did the first poster of Bajirao Mastani come out?

It was shared on Twitter by Ranveer Singh on 14 July 2015 and reported on 15 July. It showed his back on a horse, with the release date.

When was the film released?

It was released on 18 December 2015, on the same day as Dilwale.

Who directed Bajirao Mastani?

Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed it. He also composed its songs.

Is Bajirao Mastani based on a true story?

It is based on the lives of Peshwa Bajirao I and Mastani. The film follows a novel called Rau. Historians say many details of their love story are not well documented.

How much did the film earn?

Box Office India figures, quoted on the film’s Wikipedia page, put the worldwide gross at over Rs 356 crore.

Which awards did it win?

It won seven National Film Awards and nine Filmfare Awards, among others.

Final Thoughts

A single poster of a man on a horse launched months of talk. When the film came out, it broke records and divided critics. Today it is still a reference point for big historical films in Hindi cinema. Watch it for its style, but read about Bajirao’s real times too, since the screen story and the history are not the same.