Panipat (2019)

By the mid-eighteenth century the Maratha empire has become the strongest power in India. When the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali crosses into Hindustan, the Peshwa sends his cousin Sadashivrao Bhau, a brilliant but resented general, to lead the Maratha forces north, accompanied by a huge column of soldiers, pilgrims and families, including his wife Parvati Bai. The film follows the long march, the shifting alliances with northern rulers and the build-up to the Third Battle of Panipat, one of the largest battles fought in the eighteenth century anywhere. Ashutosh Gowariker, director of Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar, stages it on a grand scale with huge sets and battle sequences, and Sanjay Dutt's imposing Abdali is the film's most striking performance. Ajay–Atul's songs and Kriti Sanon's spirited Parvati Bai add colour to the history.