Bajirao Mastani, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming period drama, about a famous 18th-¬century warrior, may have been in the works for almost a decade, but its producers have a sound strategy to keep the film in the news until its December release.
A beleaguered history
Rumour has it that Bhansali, a fastidious filmmaker, struggled for years to find the right cast and the right time to make the film. However, after the box-office success of his 2013 hit Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, all the pieces finally seemed to fall into place.
The movie is based on the life of Bajirao Ballal (Balaji) Bhat, known to many as Bajirao I. He was the peshwa (prime minister) of India’s fourth Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shahu Raje Bhonsle. Bajirao was undefeated in more than 40 battles and married twice. He built a separate palace for his second wife, Mastani, in Pune city near Mumbai.
The tagline – “Bajirao ne Mastani se mohabbat ki hai, aiyyashi ¬nahin” (Bajirao has fallen in love with Mastani, not merely fooled around with her) – reveals that although the film is about one of the greatest unsung warriors in Indian history, it will focus on the love story of Bajirao and ¬Mastani.
Online boost
Produced by Eros International and Bhansali Productions, the first glimpse of the film – which boasts an ensemble cast that includes Ranveer Singh as Bajirao, Priyanka Chopra as his first wife, Kashibai, and Deepika Padukone as Mastani – was presented as a teaser trailer in July.
In August, there was a celebration for Bajirao’s descendants in Mumbai, on the 315th anniversary of his birth.
A week later, a trailer was released for an eight-part animated web series,Blazing Bajirao, a prelude to the film that features its stars in animated form.
Considering that the history of Bajirao is less well known outside of the state of Maharashtra, the web series should help to whet the appetites of young moviegoers and build interest in the film. It will debut this week, with one episode released each week on the ErosNow app (available on iOS and Android platforms) and at www.erosnow.com.
The web series is attracting a lot of attention – although such tie-ins are increasingly common in Hollywood, it is the first promotion of its kind created for a Bollywood film.
Music launch
To emphasise the film’s grandeur, the first song was revealed in style.Gajanana, which is an invocation to the Hindu deity Ganesha, was introduced to the world on September 15, when the celebrations for the Ganesha festival began in India.
The event will be featured in Guinness World Records as the biggest launch ever for a song as more than 5,000 students gathered in Pune for it.
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