When I say “un-Indian”, I don’t mean morally, or politically, or philosophically (although an argument could probably be made for all those aspects as well). I mean, artistically, this film goes against the 102 year history of Indian film.
So, first, I should say that Bajirao is a very well made film. The script is tight, the camera work is amazing, the costumes, sets, jewelry, hair and make-up are all phenomenal. The acting by all three leads is also really really good. I was confident in Deepika going in (post-Piku, she can do no wrong), but nervous about Priyanka and Ranveer. And they ended up being the ones who impressed me most.
But when I talk about “Indian film”, I mean a very specific technical and stylistic standard, with roots going back thousands of years. And this is not an Indian film.