The film centers on the long prevalent maladies in the society including university ragging and the base games of the crafty diplomats. Kashyap does not only give the cause but vividly portrays its effects on the victims. Jessy Randhawa, who played a professor, is one of the victims of the recurring persecution. She turns into a stoic character indifferent to what is happening around her. She deserves kudos for her defiant and strong role. It is the sensitive director who could portray how a battered woman can be a source of solace for another suffering soul (Dileep). Dileep, who later becomes a part of political intrigue, was initially just a student who had come to Jaipur to study law.

Gulaal seems to carry forward the DevD syndromes of draping the scenes with myriad range of colors and hard music at the background, as it is used during the penultimate stage of the movie when the innocent student Dileep discovers the act of betrayal meted out to him by her girl friend Kiran.

Treatment of the women characters in Gulaal is a reminiscent of the age-old domination of the patriarchs over the women tribe. Kay Kay’s legal wife pines for the company of her husband, which she does not get. She had to suppress her desire to celebrate Chhota Diwali with her better half since he was not available in the night. Kay Kay’s lover suffers from insecurity and she wails out loud when she declares that no one else can love him and tolerate his beating which she does for him. Anuja, the college professor, goes through traumatic persecutions and at the end she could not make Dileep understand how much she longed for him.

Listening to the movie songs is like traversing through the alleys of traditional Rajasthan and the thoughtfully written lyrics are fitting for the sequences. The rich and underlying meaning of the songs is a real delight for the music lovers. You need to listen to them with utmost concentration. The beautifully choreographed mujras and prudent use of colors throughout the movie makes it a complete work of art. Your eyes will not escape the high-intensity action sequences and the raw energy of the Rajputs. Cinematographer Rajeev Ravi deserves full marks for his classy work.

The movie concludes after a series of intrigue and clashes marking an untimely end of the political fathers and the victims of their conspiracy. This open-ended movie of Anurag Kashyap does not make any judgment of what is good and bad, but serves the purpose of disseminating the real picture of politics in its untainted form. The title of the movie is symbolic for the only reason that people wear different colors to hide their real disposition but the chameleonic traits are unleashed in the times of crisis. Gulaal is a nice potpourri of social and political ups and downs and the plight of the innocent individuals, who have no choice but to be a part of this transformation.