'Sardar Udham' Movie Review: Slow, steady, scattered, stunning

Sardar UdhamOn Amazon Prime VideoDir Shoojit SircarCast Vicky Kaushal Shaun ScottRating 35The biopic of Sardar Udham Singh can be deemed as the opposite of Mahatma Gandhirsquos In the sense that Udham Singh in history is chiefly associated with an act of violence mdash the revengeassassination of former British lieutenant governor of Punjab Michael OrsquoDwyer who was responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar 1919 Gandhi vehemently stood for everything opposed to that Both being freedom fighters of courseBe that as it may this work of ambitious craft directed by the deeply sincere Shoojit Sircar sets out to patiently mdash and one could argue perhaps rather too patiently mdash unravel the motivations behind the man that was Udham with multiple aliases living in LondonThe name he preferred for himself guessing from a tattoo in a scene in the film is Ram Mohamed Singh Azad mdash suggesting syncretic values for a people who are same regardless of their faithHow then would you describe him since a murder by another name is murder still Sardar Udham as the lead character explains that distinction between a terroristmilitant and a revolutionary rebel that he saw himself as Firstly the latter cannot be casteistracistcommunal in their persuasion The endgoal is equality alone And the act of violence is ldquosymbolicrdquo mdash for attention or to inspire a movementAs an audience I find myself wholly conflicted on such matters still largely swayed by screenwriter John Brileyrsquos line that he wrote for Ben Kingsley in Gandhi ldquoAn eye for an eye makes the whole world blindrdquo But then again how does good conquer evil by remaining good all through Sardar Udham is a Dussehra releaseNone of this debate of course is to diminish one bit the selfless life of Udham Singh himself mdash a communist revolutionary who lived and died for values that were beyond personal although they were very much personal too There is an extensive excruciating passage in this picture with Udham at the Jallianwala Bagh ferrying dead bodies mercilessly gunned down because no one can attend to the deceased There is a curfew in AmritsarThe aerial shot of men women children strewn around like carcasses is stuff that might move you even more before a big screen Especially the level of productiondesign both interiors and exteriors to attain 1930s London mdash looking like any other worldclass World War film mdash suggests the cinemastheatres was what the film was originally aimed atSircarrsquos Gulabo Sitabo 2020 was the first mainstream HindiBollywood film to go directly to OTT during the pandemic Likewise Sardar Udham should hopefully be the last since theatres are supposed to finally reopen in Maharashtra a week from when this film has dropped on Amazon Prime VideoThat said maybe it is the burden of the boxoffice lifted from the filmmakersrsquo shoulders that this film remains mostly in English Since thatrsquos what almost the entire ensemble cast are mdash starting from of course Michael OrsquoDwyer Shaun Scott General Dyer who ordered the Jallianwala killings Andrew Havill Eileen a communist sympathiser Kirsty AvertonhellipThey talk in the language they otherwise would have mdash without devolving into caricaturised bad Hindi from similar movies from the pastThe actual assassination takes place roughly around the 30th minute which is to tell you thatrsquos not the whole point of the film This is about Udham as the strange braveheart for whom English wasnrsquot a strong suit and yet he traversed through Afghanistan into Russia and finally England to pull off a mission Which seemingly a bit like Subhash Chandra Bose for its intention was to unite enemies of the Empire mdash but right under their noseHe was an acolyteassociate of the great revolutionary Bhagat Singh On whom if Irsquom not mistaken three Bollywood biopics had almost simultaneously released in 2002 Reportedly Hrishikesh Mukherjee was once making an Udham Singh biopic but had to shelve it at some point of the shoot mdash making this a long overdue film to begin withIrsquom told the late Irrfan was supposed to play the central character here This knowledge somewhat clouds your judgment when you watch Vicky Kaushal step into the role in the opening sceneFew minutes into the film though you realise hersquos picked the best traits of Irrfan as an actor At no point does he try to act the hell out of the part Hersquos simply there in that zone casually drawing you in scene after scene This is a seriously slow and steady film although slightly scattered but stunning all the sameAlso that zone although from history doesnrsquot change does it What you canrsquot forget is that itrsquos actually Indians who killed Indians even if the order was issued by a Brit at JallianwalaHear the bones of contention in this movie mdash Section 144 sedition punishment as a deterrence to create fear for future punishmentshellip The British left Those issues remained As does the relevance of this film Until there is oppression I guess there will be revolt

'Sardar Udham' Movie Review: Slow, steady, scattered, stunning

Sardar Udham
On: Amazon Prime Video
Dir: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Shaun Scott
Rating: 3/5

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Home / Entertainment / Bollywood News / Article / 'Sardar Udham' Movie Review: Slow, steady, scattered, stunning

'Sardar Udham' Movie Review: Slow, steady, scattered, stunning

Sardar UdhamOn: Amazon Prime VideoDir: Shoojit SircarCast: Vicky Kaushal, Shaun ScottRating: 3/5

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Sardar Udham
On: Amazon Prime Video
Dir: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Shaun Scott
Rating: 3/5