Panipat
- Director
- Ashutosh Gowariker
- Studio
- Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, Vision World Films
- Release Date
- 5 December 2019
- Running Time
- 162 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹90.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹49.29 Cr
Review
Ashutosh Gowariker's *Panipat* arrives as an ambitious historical epic that wrestles with one of India's most consequential military defeats, yet struggles to transform its considerable material into compelling cinema. The film's narrative spine—the 1761 Third Battle of Panipat and the political machinations preceding it—possesses genuine dramatic potential, but Gowariker's execution feels curiously flat and didactic. Rather than allowing the tension to simmer through character conflict and moral ambiguity (as Sanjay Leela Bhansali achieved with *Bajirao Mastani*), the film opts for expository dialogue and grandiose set pieces that overwhelm nuance. Arjun Kapoor brings earnestness to Sadashiv Rao Bhau, but lacks the magnetism required to anchor such an enormous canvas, while Kriti Sanon remains underutilized in a thankless supporting role. Ranveer Singh's brief cameo as the Peshwa proves more charismatic than the entire lead performance.
What undermines *Panipat* most fatally is its tonal inconsistency and pacing missteps. The film can't decide whether it's a military strategy drama, a political thriller, or a patriotic spectacle—and in trying to be all three, it becomes none convincingly. Gowariker, who delivered the exceptional *Lagaan*, seems to mistake scale for substance here; the lavish production design and battle choreography occasionally dazzle, but they feel deployed to mask a screenplay that reduces complex historical personalities to stock archetypes. The climact
Storyline
So basically, by the late 1700s, the Maratha Empire was at its peak and doing really well under Nana Saheb's leadership. His military commanders were crushing their enemies left and right, defeating powerful rivals and bringing in talented fighters to join their forces. Everything seemed to be going great for the empire, and they were basically the dominant power in the region at that time.
But then things start getting complicated when Nana Saheb's cousin Sadashiv gets promoted to an important financial position, which doesn't sit well with everyone. Sadashiv starts looking into who owes the empire money, and he discovers this guy Najib from Rohillakhand is a major defaulter. Here's where it gets interesting – Najib gets scared of the Marathas coming after him, so he does something pretty bold and invites this Afghan king Ahmad Shah Abdali to come help him out against them.
When Nana Saheb hears about this new alliance and finds out that one of their own generals was actually killed by Najib, things escalate quickly. The Peshwa decides they need to send their forces north to defend Delhi and deal with this threat, but there's some drama about who should lead and how much money they need for the campaign. Eventually, Sadashiv ends up becoming the commander of the entire Maratha army, and they start preparing for this massive military expedition with soldiers, families, and pilgrims all moving together.
