Sardar Udham

This is a story that will make your blood boil, regardless of where you reside, your home soil; as injustice and terror and slaughter ensues, with trespass, oppression, cruelty and abuse; the instruments used by tyrannical force, their weapons deployed, politicians endorse; to control and to quell, dragoon and coerce, a nation enveloped by despotic curse.

A far from uncommon telling of a story based on facts, one of so many resulting from imperialism, empire building, slavery and the theft of another countries people and resources, that invariably results in the oppressed fighting back and receiving the unforgiving force of the invasive foe in return.

Almost as heart breaking as the events portrayed here is the unflinching resistance of the oppressor to enlighten its civilians through education, of the reality behind considerable portions of its recent history - even today.

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!

This movie is a masterpiece. Loved that it presented the true facts and was not altered for the sake of commercialism. The last half an hour of the movie is heart wrenching. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre left a deep impact on the entire nation. The movie feels a bit stretched in between as the scenes keep ping ponging between present and the flashback. Vicky Kaushal gives his best performance. This movie deserves an Oscar nomination.

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.

Sardar Udham review :

Of all the movies Shoojit Sircar has made till date, this has to be the most technically brilliant one. Capturing the landscape from Amristar to London, the shots appear like a beautiful painting on celluloid. The art design, recreating the 1930s and early '40s when most of this film is based, is top class. Sardar Udham is also the most unconventional historical movie made in Indian cinema. If you are looking for entertainment or patriotic jingoism here, sorry but this is just not the movie for you!!

Indeed, Sardar Udham is a highly realistic and at times, harrowing depiction of the relatively unknown freedom fighter who decides to avenge the Jallianwala Baug massacre. Travelling all the way to London to execute the two officials responsible for the most inhuman act in British India, Udham Singh takes a long time to execute his plan. But he is successful at the end.

Narrated non-linearly, the film may get tad difficult for the aam junta not used to such treatment as well as those who are not so well versed with the historical events of that period specially those second world war references and the communists' role in it. Udham Singh's torture scenes in British jail are also extremely discomforting to watch.

Vicky Kaushal, in the titular role, delivers his career best performance. This one deserves a National award, no less!! Kirsty Averton as Eileen Palmer, Udham's sympathizer from the local Communist party, is a standout. The other firangi actors are earnest and thankfully, talk in English instead of that oh-so-familiar accented Hindi patented by Bob Christo.

Sardar Udham reaches its pinnacle in the last forty minutes dedicated to the Jallianwala Baug tragedy. I have read and seen this event many times before but trust me, was never ever shaken so much!! It is a heart wrenching watch sure to move you to tears.

Finally, films like Sardar Udham need to be made and the sacrifice of these great freedom fighters deserve much more attention than just a footnote accorded to them in our school history books.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.