Sardar Udham

After watching the brutal and heart-wrenching visuals of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, I can't review this film. And yes, India is yet to receive an official apology from the British Government for the same.

That's it.

Available on Amazon Prime Video.

Shoojit Sircar delivers yet another nuanced, offbeat yet impactful cinema experience after Vicky Donor (2012), Madras Cafe (2013) and Piku (2015) in Udham Singh, riding on an immense performance from Vicky Kaushal.

The biopic tells us the relatively unknown tale of Shaheed-i-Azam ('greatest of martyrs') Sardar Udham Singh, who gunned down one of the perpetrators of the Jalianwala Bagh massacre, Michael O'Dwyer, audaciously in the center of London.

A harrowing character portrayal of a man scarred by the massacre of his people, Vicky Kaushal delves deep into the anguish, the motivations and the resolve of the legendary freedom fighter, portraying each stage of his life with dignified conviction.

A story that would be unbelievable if it were not true, the film shows us the steely determination of a freedom fighter hell bent on revenge, who embarks on a perilous journey through Afghanistan and USSR to strike at his enemy's heart in London.

The film never meanders to jingoistic levels instead quietly yet profoundly putting across the messages of freedom and equality propagated by Udham and a fantastic Amol Parashar who essays the role of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Director Sircar has taken an unconventional non-linear narrative style, a format rarely used in nationalistic films. He leverages it to astutely put across not just the freedom fighter's perspectives but that also of the British administration.

While the British officers are often portrayed as evil, maniacal tropes in most freedom fighter movies, Sircar again refuses to follow the norm. Shaun Scott is terrific as the banal, even dispassionate Michael O'Dwyer while Stephen Hogan is impactful as the detective charged with extracting Udham's confession.

Sardar Udham is a firm reminder that our country's freedom was won by a group of men and women who were made of sterner stuff, who sacrificed everything for their motherland.

The film, at 2 hours and 42 minutes will require a patient watch. But I promise you, the experience is well worth it. Recommended!

I was crying the whole second half of the film. The core emotion of that last hour was so heavy that your tears will automatically fall out. The documentation style of approach to the story definitely made the viewing experience very personal and interactive. The screenplay in the first half does confused me a bit but it did the job of making me invested in the actuality.

Shoojit Sircar showed us once again how a biopic should be made, and the level of Sardar Udham waa extraordinary. Vicky Kaushal is a rising star and his role of Sardar Udham showed us why he is a great contender for Bollywood's future.

A dark tale of an individual, fighting for the freedom of the nation, in a different way, in a different nation is enthralling and at the same time, emotional and captivating as well. With a brilliant cinematography and strong dialogues added with terrific acting, Sardar Udham can be claimed as one of the best biopic on a freedom fighter that has ever been made.

Hats off to the team of Sardar Udham, Shoojit Sircar, Vicky Kaushal and the entire cast that brought out such an outstanding example of Indian cinema with a compelling story about the struggles we had for the freedom of our nation. This is truly a remarkable on an international level and an oscar nomination worthy movie.

My Rating : 10/10.

I watched this movie on Prime and would say, it was worth an effort from director, creators and of course, actors.

It's slow burn but never fall short of the subject matter or the descriptions. Every character is given ample amount of time, every scene is elaborated and the whole focus remains upon the subject. The creators have played the dice to showcase the actual events in reverse order, however, keeping in mind that no sequence remains unsitched.

Moreover, I liked the depection of the first part of the 20th century, that is the locations, costumes, habits etc.

Saying so, yaa, I did feel that in some places, it could have been a bit fast in pace and skipped a few incidents so as to reduce the time from 2 hrs 45 mins to like 2 hrs and 20 mins here and there. And that's where I would cut 2 points. But, a very good film and definitely watchable. Keep your patience and time with you, and you won't regret it.