The trailer of Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Sanjay Dutt starrer Panipat was released a few days ago. It received a good response, but a lot of people started comparing the film to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani. Sanjay Dutt plays the role of Ahmad Shah Abdali in the film and his look is also quite similar to Ranveer Singh’s look in Padmaavat who played the role of Alauddin Khilji.
Recently, the makers of Panipat launched the song Mann Mein Shiva with a lot of fanfare at an event in Mumbai. At the song launch, when Ashutosh Gowariker was asked about the comparisons, he said, “There will always be comparisons. When I made Jodhaa Akbar, it was compared to Mughal-E-Azam. There was no connection in both the films, but because of the Mughal period, it was compared. When Bajirao Mastani came, it was compared to Jodhaa Akbar. There’s no connection between the two films. When the trailer of Padmaavat was released it was compared to Baahubali. As an audience, the previous period film that we liked, we start comparing it. It’s a good thing, there’s no problem.”
“In our case (Panipat), the double dose is that in the character of Sadashiv Rao Bhau is the next generation of Bajirao. Bajirao and Chimaji Appa were brothers; Sadashiv Rao Bhau is Chimaji Appa’s son. The story is what happened after 20 years of Bajirao. So, the clothes, the house (Shanivaar Vada), will be the same. So, it is natural to feel a comparison. And if there’s comparison then it’s good as Bajirao Mastani was a very good film. So, it’s a good thing that at least we have a good comparison,” he added.
Further talking about Sanjay Dutt’s look, the filmmaker said, “Invaders have been coming to India. They have a certain look which is quite common. But what we have done is that there’s only one image of Ahmad Shah Abdali which is a painting and that’s the only painting that shows that he was like this. So, we have taken it from there.”
Panipat is slated to release on 6th December 2019.
