The subject matter of Krantiveer is quite interesting, and it could have been a great classic. But sadly the film is a) very very exaggerated in execution; and b) is clearly not a film confident in its own merit and in order to attract wider audiences makes use of some unnecessary romantic subplots with younger actor so as to just make it more commercially appealing. As for the first point, the film is just very theatrical. Despite a strong story and good actors, it keeps abusing its core message and pushing it too much by being quite preachy, sometimes stagy, and unrealistic. The second point is a common problem of many films of the sort where older actors lead the film. In this film, Nana Patekar and Dimple Kapadia, two great actors who had by then passed their so-called sale-by-date, were probably insufficient factors for a commercial film, and so two young charmers were recruited for the songs and romantic portions, Atul Agnihotri and Mamta Kulkarni. How funny is that. The portrayal of the communal riots and the dehumanization that takes place after is handled quite well.
Where the film scores big time and everybody already knows that is in the stupendous presence of Nana Patekar, one of India's topmost actors. Patekar is tremendous in the part - real, nuanced, fiery - and he's quite a star, which is something the producers didn't really know or understand. He creates a man who is both a character actor and a hero, and this is definitely enough of a reason to watch the film. Another reason is obviously Dimple Kapadia, a marvelous actress in her own right. Her character is sometimes stereotypically written, but in a number of hard-hitting scenes, she outdoes herself even if the context is a little theatrical. Atul Agnihotri and Mamta Kulkarni do their usual bits, giving exactly what's expected of them, which is not much, as does Danny Denzogpa, who is the most typical villain you can get. I wish director Mehul Kumar had not turned this dark subject matter into a fluffy potboiler, as also seen in the songs and some of the action. The communal strife though is handled well, and kudos to Patekar and Kapadia for their superbly played roles. Overall, a flawed film but thoroughly watchable.
