The Great Betrayal|Dec. 06, 2019|India|171 Min.|n/A
Genre: Action;Bollywood;History;Romance;War
Description: **Panipat 2019: A Historical Epic in Hindi (480p and 720p)**
**Storyline:**
By 1758, the Maratha Empire had reached its zenith under the leadership of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, also known as Nana Saheb. Key Maratha commanders, including Raghunath Rao (the Peshwa’s brother), Shamsher Bahadur (the Peshwa’s half-brother), and Sadashiv Rao Bhau (the Peshwa’s cousin), achieved a significant victory against the Nizam of Hyderabad. They captured Ibrahim Khan Gardi, the Nizam’s artillery commander, and Sadashiv later integrated him into the Maratha Army as their artillery chief. Their triumphant return to the empire’s capital, Pune, was met with celebration.
However, under pressure from his wife, Gopika Bai, the Peshwa appointed Sadashiv as the empire’s finance minister, bypassing his son Vishwas Rao. Sadashiv reluctantly accepted the role and soon identified tax defaulters, notably Najib ad-Dawlah, the Rohilla leader, who owed the largest sum. Determined to retaliate, Najib allied with Ahmad Shah Abdali and invited him to Delhi.
News of this formidable alliance, along with the death of Dattaji Shinde in battle against Najib, reached Pune. The Peshwa initially appointed Raghunath Rao to lead the Maratha forces against Abdali, but Raghunath demanded a substantial amount of money, which Sadashiv denied due to the depleted treasury. Consequently, Raghunath refused to march north, prompting the Peshwa to name Sadashiv as commander-in-chief, with Vishwas Rao as the symbolic leader.
The Maratha army, accompanied by non-combatants, embarked on a challenging journey north. Upon arriving in Dholpur, they were joined by fellow Maratha generals, including Govind Pant Bundela, Balwant Rao Mehendale, Jankoji Shinde, and the seasoned Malhar Rao Holkar. Through strategic alliances with leaders like Maharaja Suraj Mal and Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah, their army expanded to 50,000 men. Meanwhile, Abdali capitalized on the Rajput kings’ resentment toward the Marathas to strengthen his own forces.
Cast director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Cast actor: Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Sanjay Dutt, Mohnish Behl, Mohan Joshi, Krutika Deo, Nawab Shah, Kunal Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure, Arun Bali
Original name: पानीपट