Kranti

The first time I saw this movie I was totally impressed. This movie about the Indian resistance fighting the British oppressors is nothing short of an epic. I was very young and could not know that this movie wasn't entirely realistic. The typical Bollywood themes (examples:mother loosing child in the beginning of the movie and then by force of faith or extreme luck to be reunited with the child who now is an adult,or the love story of the spoiled and stuck up woman in this case a princess played by the wonderful Hema Malini who falls in love with someone beneath her class,the leader of a resistance group,Manoj Kumar) are a bit much and certainly not fitting in a story like this. Manoj Kumar's take on history is a melodrama combined with a lot of action. But to be honest that also is the appeal of this movie. This movie isn't to show what really happened back then. No,it is meant to show the emotions of the people that were victims of the British colonization. In that aspect you can compare this movie to Hollywood productions like "Braveheart" or "The Patriot" both starring Mel Gibson. But even more important is the way Manoj Kumar has directed this movie. When looking at the structure of "Kranti" movies like "The Longest day" and "A bridge too far" come to mind. It has the same setup and feel to it. Only accompanied by the obligatory song and dance (which was good but often too much and too distracting). The great cast,the good direction and it's powerful message have made "Kranti" into a movie that can be watched over and over again. In my book that is called a classic.