bvirik-58077

The usual Bollywood formulas spiced up. The film is all about SK, SK and SK.Nothing against SK, but this was simply an attempt to carry off the film purely on SK's shoulders. It does not work like that nowadays with a more discerning audience.

There is 1 hit song but which does not save the film.

The message the film sends out is not one I would like young impressionable viewers to receive.

It's all the usual Sound, Camera, Action without any quality.

See it at home on DVD just for the sake of the 1 hit song.

I was greatly looking forward to seeing this film about one of the most important periods in Sikh history. However I left the cinema feeling very disappointed. The producer and director missed a unique opportunity to portray events properly. For starters, Duleep Singh was portrayed as a morose, colourless, depressed person. There was no spark at all. Queen Victoria did not look remotely like the actual person. The other actors were no better than any school amateur drama group. Many of the events in the film were not shown to their natural conclusions. For example, what happened to the Sikhs being herded in the jail? It's no point writing out in the end that so many were hanged etc. No, I am not looking for gory scenes, but, there are dignified and thoughtful ways of showing such events. I came to see a film not read a book! His exile in Scotland where he got the nickname of the Black Prince, was not shown. Scenes have been put together like a drunk attempting a jigsaw puzzle. The only character who gave a good and realistic performance was Shabana Azmi as the Prince's mother. But it still was not enough to save the film. Don't waste your time and money on this film. See something else.

Fact based film with exceptional portrayal of realism in most scenes shot. The story is such that the chances of a happy ending is the proverbial one in a million. Yet it happened. The acting by the child actor, Sunny Pawar,is superb. But the experiences such children endure still go on today. Poverty, corruption, and paedophilia meet charity, sacrifice and kindness while Calcutta shows one of its dark sides. Google, Tasmania and Indian Railway play prominent roles. The main actor is the hero from Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel, now grown up. No Bollywood stunts here. See it! You will certainly enhance your life experiences.