1971

Much better depiction of the true story of unsung war heroes...Great ensemble cast with quality dialogues and performances. Though a few actors were not up to the par...A lil more depth to the characters and story-telling would have done more justice to the 54 POWs we didn't know much about. I have seen more hard-hitting WW2 movies coming out of hollywood...still from the standards of bollywood where we go in extremes in such scenarios of either melodrama or unabashed jingoism, 1971 portrays a much controlled and poignant effort.

May these soldiers find their peace.

One of the best movies made on prisoners of war.. It will definitely make you emotional.. It's a must watch..

Prologue -

54 'Prisoners of War' (POW) have been captured by Pakistan and never returned to India or told to the world. No one knows what happened to them. Till now, till date. The Intelligence Bureau reported that still some of them were alive in 1988. Indian Govt never really 'cared' to find out about their existence. It remains a mystery till date, whether some war prisoners are still hoping to live, waiting to die in the remains of a hapless country which betrayed Red Cross, all international norms of War. This story is a fictitious rendering about 6 such Lts and Commanders who tried to escape. This story is their journey of hope in telling the truth to the world.

Will they make it to the border? Will the world come to know about the rest of the POW?

Rarely do you see a quality cinema surpassed by it's own excellence in every technical department in a debut making. 1971: Prisoners of War will surprise you, touch you deep within and astonish you with it's film making brilliance. India is awakening and new talent is booming. Ironically the pathway is still led by stars who endorse everything from toothpaste to banks, Big banners which have anything but little to offer in path breaking celluloid. Here comes a movie straight from the heart. With utter honesty weaved with a brilliant execution of screenplay, acting, story telling, characterization, background score, in a thematic foreplay that could raise eyebrows to the world cinema critics.

There have been war movies before, many repetitive takes on Indo-Pak relationships, many patriotic themes. This movie does what all other movies never could touch. It touches Patriotism at an international level beyond the boundary of a country. You don't necessarily have to be an Indian to watch. It is like Love, without any barriers. Patriotism has no nationality. It touches a human spirit & emotions behind a facade of war-zone. There is no hatred, animosity. You do not see Slangs starting with M* or B*. There is no bloodshed, no violence, no hatred for each other. Instead, what you see is much more sophisticated Art of War. Strategies, Planning, Contrived Army Politics. All wrapped up in a perfect edge of the seat action and story telling like you've seen in good foreign cinema.

Manoj Bajpai is first class, perhaps his best performance till date. Watch out for his scenes towards the end. Every other character is beyond brilliance, you may not have heard their names before but it helps to relate to their characters which has been portrayed brilliantly, each one of them. The young Amrit Sagar, son of the legendary filmmaker "Ramananda Sagar" (maker of Ramayana TV series) makes a debut like no other, from his brief stint in the US; doubling with his 16 year old brother to compose the background score for this movie and his Uncles as producers. This is a family effort who passionately made this movie. For once, you will begin to think, a new sound is born. A new AR rahman has risen. There are 4 songs, all perfectly blended in the bg in this movie (one spellbinding theme music during the end titles sung by Shibani Kashyap). Couple of these songs have been sung without any music but just plates and table. That is a complete retake on filming songs!

The Editing is crisp, not a single scene are you taken away from the story. Cinematography is not top notch but commendable with scenic routes of Himachal Pradesh, Kulu with it's semi-sepia tone and slow action steady cams. The Writer Piyush Mishra brings his experience from his previous epic writing - Legend of the Bhagat Singh; does a fantastic job with realism in every character. As a comparison to a feeling of realism & passion you could think of "Hotel Rwanda" or Swades. Inspite of it's shades of inspirations from the theme of "Great Escape", this movie begs to grab your respect.

It's rather ironic that at a time when India needs a boost for young talent with an international outlook on film-making, the critics and the audience betray them yet again. It's been a month and I haven't seen a single critical review of a movie or discussion, which I personally think is one of the best Indian crafts I've ever watched. What a shame. This needs a lot better attention. This is the kind of movie you would want to proudly represent at the academy awards.

Watch this movie for it's passion. Watch this movie if you want to learn what film-making is all about. Watch this movie to take home some true feelings about the people who have never been thought of. Don't let the sand wash away, preserve your soil. Let the talent be ripe in this dying beautiful world. But for the almighty sake, don't watch this movie for the critics. Watch it for yourself, watch it alone and you will walk back with great honor in your heart. That's my word for you.

****** Songs ***** "Sehlenge Hum" - Sung beautifully, in an absolutely spellbound voice by Shibani Kashyap

"Prelude to the show - Instrumental" - You may be think it's John Williams or James Horner who composed this piece. Ironically its a 16 yeard old debutante ...

"Saajna" - a great sufi ghazal ...

What worked: -based on the true story; it's fascinating watching this movie almost 50 years after the time line of the movie. The screenplay is fair and flows well throughout the movie. The concept is powerful, with strong performances by some of the finest actors in the industry. What makes the first half a gripping and thrilling watch is the narrative and focusing more on the plot than glorifying their situations. The movie makes its point with its storytelling and strong conclusion, keeping us in awe and engaged, and also keeping us disturbed and perplexed. It's a great story told with a beautiful team. The background score is worth praising. Overall, a satisfying watch. What did not work:

• runtime; the movie overstretches on the second half, adding the spices, melodrama and glorifying to increase the dramatic value in the movie. These scenes are fine but overlong and unbearable at times because of its dramatic value. I would have taken out the songs if I was in charge of the movie. I would also take away many scenes from the second half, cutting down to crisp and balance the narrative. That being said, the movie winning National Award is not a surprise for its subject and narrative. It's a good movie but not without flaws.

Final verdict: recommended

I must say, its one of the best movie of 2007 and one of the best movie made on similar theme. I am not sure why such movie do not get the deserved appreciation. It can bring tears to anyone's eyes such is the story and the acting of the cast. Manoj bajpai does not need an introduction if we talk about acting skills, but here rest of the cast too justified their roles.

Does not matter which country you belong to, give it a try and you wont regret.