Goliyon ki raasleela.. Ram Leela.

‘Ram Leela’ is, by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s own admission, a desi version of the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet. And a modern adaptation, going by the looks of it.

In a Gujarati town like no other, where sinister rifles are hung in the local village square, comes the tale of two lovers, played by Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Nothing about these two is ordinary: the desi Juliet, played with panache by Deepika, promises to kill her lover if he ever thinks of abandoning her.

Her lover Ram (Ranveer Singh), on his part, is a loud, over-the-top, bare-chested, bearded, muscular man, whose tales of manliness are famous all over the town.

Gun-toting is the norm in ‘Nakhtarana’, the fictional town where Bhansali has based his ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The film almost looks like a cross-pollination of Anurag Kashyap-esque violence and trigger-happiness, mingling comfortably with Bhansali’s trademark sweeping romantic vision.

Nevertheless, the Bhansali staples are intact, going by the trailer. Opulent sets, elaborate dance sequences and all the riots of colour and vigour that can be packed tightly into a 70mm screen are aplenty. Deepika looks stunning in her regal lehengas and flowing tresses, while Ranveer Singh’s months of not shaving culminate with this film.

“Love is at war,” this season, with ‘Ram Leela’ scorching into theatres this November. Let the battle, oops, love-story begin!