Sardar Udham (2021) :
Movie Review -
I am not gonna write a regular review for this one which combines things like acting, writing, screenplay, music and direction because i don't really think this is a film made to glorify that hardcore patriotism from India's history. Making a commercial jiongism patterns like 'Border' (1997), 'Uri' (2019), and 'Shershaah' (2021) is easy and safe because you that our massy audience will fall for patriotic emotions and will forgive cinematic mistakes. But making a relevant and thought-provoking film like 'Haqeeqat' is still a dream for new generation filmmakers. Sardar Udham is high-end triggering drama with strong flavour of Shoojit Sircar style. Those who are expecting a quality cinema and are ready to wait for a while are welcome and those who want to whistle and scream during mass sequences are prohibited from viewing this movie. Sardar Udham is typical Shoojit Sircar style slow burn but moreover it attempts to rediscover patriotic biographical genre in Indian Cinema on the level of what Hollywood did with film like 'Patton' (1970) and 'Schindler's List' (1993).
Jalianwala Bagh massacre is one of the most brutal events ever happened in the 20th century in any corner of the world. But how many times it has made you feel that pain even today except for Anniversary trends on social media and few glimpses in any freedom fighter's biopic in Indian Cinema? We have seen this particular event in many biopics from Bhagat Singh to Gandhi to Sardar Patel and few more but Sardar Udham is probably the only film which has made a big issue out of it to create an entire plot affected by that terrible masscare. I remember watching Soviet Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein's film which showed one of that Russian Massacre in Brutal manners and who on earth knew that those scenes from a silent film made in 1920s decade would remain the most astonishing massacre scenes in cinema history. Sardar Udham might just become that for Bollywood Cinema. Especially those last 40 minutes where you feel the pain of Udham, a teenager, who didn't really understand what just happened and it kept him torturing for 2 decades. Finally, he took the revenge and yet it feels like a soft punishment because you hate British empire so much that even shooting a man dead in front of 50 people feels so less. British had killed hundreds brutally in Jalianwala Bagh massacre and any toughest punishment in the world can't justify that. Sardar Udham is about this ideology, not a revenge. There are thousands of revenge in the history of India but not all them became universal ideologies.
One of the best thing i noticed in Sardar Udham is it shows that fatal state of mind British government during world war 2. You see, World War 2 is one of the major reason behind India's independence but our historians and filmmakers have always overlooked this fact. You gotta know that British saw it coming back what they did to India. In this movie there is a quote to explain this- "Germany calling. The sun finally seems to setting at British Empire. Like an elephant, Indians never forget their enemies" and the next two scenes when Udham Singh questions the Law twice, once in Courtroom before Judge and once during investigation in front of detective. Do you remember any Bollywood Film going in such details about ideology and morals? Leave that topic for further arguments later.
So, overall Sardar Udham is quite a break from commercial potboilers and there are many reasons to make it a Must See in your watchlist as a true quality cinema lover. However, couple of flaws needs to be bashed equally as i praised good things. The film starts very slow, it looks scattered and irrelevant sometimes but maybe that's because the story of Udham never has enough documents and events available in public domain. I won't say much about acting and other aspects as said in the beginning but for Vicky Kaushal I say one thing that he has completely surrendered himself to director's uncompromised vision. I won't be surprised to see him taking a bunch of trophies home after the award ceremonies next year. Shoojit Sir, you have attempted something revolutionary and respect you for that. Nevertheless, i still say it could have been little better or a certain Classic. It misses that Mark by few inches though. Rest, highly recommended. A deserving tribute to underdog Udham Singh and his Friend, Brother and Idol 'Shaheed Bhagat Singh'.
RATING - 7.5/10*
I am not gonna write a regular review for this one which combines things like acting, writing, screenplay, music and direction because i don't really think this is a film made to glorify that hardcore patriotism from India's history. Making a commercial jiongism patterns like 'Border' (1997), 'Uri' (2019), and 'Shershaah' (2021) is easy and safe because you that our massy audience will fall for patriotic emotions and will forgive cinematic mistakes. But making a relevant and thought-provoking film like 'Haqeeqat' is still a dream for new generation filmmakers. Sardar Udham is high-end triggering drama with strong flavour of Shoojit Sircar style. Those who are expecting a quality cinema and are ready to wait for a while are welcome and those who want to whistle and scream during mass sequences are prohibited from viewing this movie. Sardar Udham is typical Shoojit Sircar style slow burn but moreover it attempts to rediscover patriotic biographical genre in Indian Cinema on the level of what Hollywood did with film like 'Patton' (1970) and 'Schindler's List' (1993).
Jalianwala Bagh massacre is one of the most brutal events ever happened in the 20th century in any corner of the world. But how many times it has made you feel that pain even today except for Anniversary trends on social media and few glimpses in any freedom fighter's biopic in Indian Cinema? We have seen this particular event in many biopics from Bhagat Singh to Gandhi to Sardar Patel and few more but Sardar Udham is probably the only film which has made a big issue out of it to create an entire plot affected by that terrible masscare. I remember watching Soviet Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein's film which showed one of that Russian Massacre in Brutal manners and who on earth knew that those scenes from a silent film made in 1920s decade would remain the most astonishing massacre scenes in cinema history. Sardar Udham might just become that for Bollywood Cinema. Especially those last 40 minutes where you feel the pain of Udham, a teenager, who didn't really understand what just happened and it kept him torturing for 2 decades. Finally, he took the revenge and yet it feels like a soft punishment because you hate British empire so much that even shooting a man dead in front of 50 people feels so less. British had killed hundreds brutally in Jalianwala Bagh massacre and any toughest punishment in the world can't justify that. Sardar Udham is about this ideology, not a revenge. There are thousands of revenge in the history of India but not all them became universal ideologies.
One of the best thing i noticed in Sardar Udham is it shows that fatal state of mind British government during world war 2. You see, World War 2 is one of the major reason behind India's independence but our historians and filmmakers have always overlooked this fact. You gotta know that British saw it coming back what they did to India. In this movie there is a quote to explain this- "Germany calling. The sun finally seems to setting at British Empire. Like an elephant, Indians never forget their enemies" and the next two scenes when Udham Singh questions the Law twice, once in Courtroom before Judge and once during investigation in front of detective. Do you remember any Bollywood Film going in such details about ideology and morals? Leave that topic for further arguments later.
So, overall Sardar Udham is quite a break from commercial potboilers and there are many reasons to make it a Must See in your watchlist as a true quality cinema lover. However, couple of flaws needs to be bashed equally as i praised good things. The film starts very slow, it looks scattered and irrelevant sometimes but maybe that's because the story of Udham never has enough documents and events available in public domain. I won't say much about acting and other aspects as said in the beginning but for Vicky Kaushal I say one thing that he has completely surrendered himself to director's uncompromised vision. I won't be surprised to see him taking a bunch of trophies home after the award ceremonies next year. Shoojit Sir, you have attempted something revolutionary and respect you for that. Nevertheless, i still say it could have been little better or a certain Classic. It misses that Mark by few inches though. Rest, highly recommended. A deserving tribute to underdog Udham Singh and his Friend, Brother and Idol 'Shaheed Bhagat Singh'.
RATING - 7.5/10*