First, let’s congratulate Ashutosh Gowariker on making this epic and presenting an era and a revolution that most people are scarcely aware of. In a nutshell, the film is brilliant in patches – sometimes you’re in awe and sometimes you aren’t. But all in all, it is a praiseworthy effort.
Adapting a book into a movie is never easy but Gowariker makes it appear effortless. He’s among the few filmmakers who know exactly what they want and how they want it. The challenge for Gowariker here was conveying a piece of history that people are not familiar with.
Based on Manini Chatterjee’s novel Do And Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34, the story deals with a part of India’s long battle for freedom from the British Raj. It portrays a lesser-known Chittagong Uprising of 1930-34. Yet Gowariker makes you wish you were part of the revolution.
The movie opens very well. From the very first scene, you feel the sense of possessiveness the youngsters feel for their football field. But Gowariker fails to aptly depict the bonding between the youngsters. Had he done so, it would have infused a greater passion in when they desire to sacrifice their lives for their country.
The protagonist Surjya Sen is introduced early on, and his intentions are crystal clear. This is followed by the scene where two girls (Deepika Padukone and Vishakha Singh) decide to join forces with him.
Then a hiccup. Deepika and Vishakha say they will go to any lengths to be freedom fighters but once their parents put up stiff opposition, they decide to move to Kolkata to pursue their studies. While this is a realistic possibility and you don’t question Gowariker’s skill, it somehow jars. That’s why you don’t completely connect with their decision to lay their lives down at the end of the film.
Speaking of pace, the first half hour moves very quickly when the characters are introduced but the pace suddenly drops when the youngsters are being trained. The momentum picks up again as the interval approaches. Thus, at this juncture, expectations are hyped for the second half.
And the beginning of the second half keeps it promise, where our band of revolutionaries attack the imperialists and their headquarters. The attack is gripping and beautifully handled, even if only because these are kids fighting for their country. The transition from fighting to save their beloved football field to becoming krantikaaris desperate to save their country is superbly portrayed. How one wishes it was brought out more convincingly.
After the attack, the revolutionaries run helter-skelter and the movie loses its grip again. It suddenly becomes episodic, where the youngsters are shown in separate groups. This takes away from the audience’s sense of empathy – you’re left wondering whom to identify with.
Apart from pace, another major issue is the length of the film. Gowariker should have shaved off at least 15- 20 minutes.
But there are some scenes that are very moving – Sikander Kher’s death is beautifully captured; the scene where four kids decide to commit suicide; ditto with Vishaka; the one where a youngster gets burnt in the attack; the bunch of revolutionaries attacking the British and the way they go about it.. And last but not the least, Surjya Sen staring at the sky. Moving!
Gowariker’s tryst with period films continues and he scores big time, once again. Recreating a bygone era is not everyone’s cup of tea but Gowariker does it – with elan. The meticulousness with which scenes are recreated is visible in every frame. As for execution, he walks away as a winner though he should have worked a little harder on the screenplay. He has also blended the songs with the film beautifully. And Javed Akhtar’s lyrics (beautifully penned) only enhance the effect. This was an honest effort from Gowariker and will be appreciated by one and all.
Gowariker has taken the trouble to source pictures of the original characters. Thus, after the movie concludes, the picture of each character is juxtaposed with an image of the original. Very touching.
Performance-wise, Abhishek Bachchan excels as Surjya Sen. He makes you believe that he’s Surjya Sen and not Abhishek Bachchan. He lives the character. To date, undoubtedly one of his finest performances. Deepika Padukone impresses. Sikander Kher delivers a powerful performance. Vishakha Singh is awesome. Samrat Mukherjee and Maninder are good. All the youngsters deliver good performances.
Verdict: The film did not open well and the blame lies squarely on poor marketing. The posters and promos too failed to generate curiosity. However, the content and word-of-mouth publicity should help. Fingers crossed!