The fever and fervor of telling stories inspired by real life events refuse to die down. We already have the blockbuster success of Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar right in front of us. There are a lot of events shown in that film that actually happened for real. Now let’s go back to the year 2002, when we had as many as three films made on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Now let’s come to 2021; Shoojit Sircar made Sardar Udham with Vicky Kaushal. This was a remarkable portrait of a freedom fighter hungry for revenge. And now we have another rousing portrait in the form of The Legend Of Udham Singh by Waseem Amrohi.
Right from the first frame to the last, you can see that there is a lot of effort that has gone behind creating this grand and gritty world of pre-independence when the ruthless and remorseless British unleashed their barbarism on the nation. Nobody will be able to forget the ugly bloodbath of Jalliawala Bagh that happened in April 1919. The man responsible behind the massacre was Sir Michael Francis O’Dwyer, who was assassinated by Singh in 1940. Amrohi has been directed by him as well and written by Shifuji Shaurya Bharadwaj of Baaghi fame. And the two get along like a house on fire. When you are making a film that talks about real life event events, it is extremely crucial to keep writing and direction in mind. And this is where the film succeeds.
The brutality that has been shown in the film against innocent Indians will make you squirm with discomfort. But it will also fuel a lot of energy inside you when Amrohi, who breaths fire into the eponymous character, decides to take charge and seek revenge. For all those who have seen the trailer and for all those who will see the film, Sardar Udham Singh has been described the true son of the motherland. What happened between 1919 and 1940, is something that has been meticulously shown in the film. It took this freedom fight 21 years to seek his revenge. He could be described as a blend of brain and brawn. And everybody needs to appreciate his audacity.
If Shoojit Sircar’s film on the same freedom fighter relied on silences and restraint, Amrohi opts for a pulsating background score and music by Zayed Ishaq. The intricate action sequences add a lot of depth to the narrative. And so do the different landscapes shown in the film. This was a story that was lost in the pages of history. But now it is in front of everybody to witness. Some people may have forgotten the contribution of the freedom fighters, history, and Hindi cinema will never allow that to happen. For that reason alone, The Legend Of Udham Singh deserves a watch.
Rating: 4 (out of 5 stars)
