As I write this review on a very inspiring movie, my heart is still saddened with the yesterday night blasts in Delhi, but the ever unshakeable spirit of human life brings me back to writing and moving ahead. Same spirit is echoed in this controversial yet encouraging film, the undying faith of believing in oneself, in our dreams and ideas and most important believing in our own self respect.This doesn’t applies to just only Mangal Pandey, a soldier in East India company, but to every human being in every sphere of life be it a young girl, an old woman or a child.
Aamir Khan as usual excels in his portrayal of a young Sepoy.Toby Stephens as Captain Gordon also tries to do justice to the role of a British Captain having a human heart to feelings of every human being including a young woman Jwala being burnt on the pyre of her old ailing husband.Amisha Patel in a small role of Jwala keeps the intrigue on. Rani Mukherjee while essaying a role of a prostitute Heera looks more like a straight lift off from a typical commercial Hindi movie and not a real one.Mangal’s interest in a prostitute looks more like a messiah than a hard core lover.I wonder what the whole hullabullu is about the court case by Pandey’s kins and the vague counter clarifications by Yashraj films.I think both parties should have concentrated more on HALLABOL by Pandey than the dramatic diversion of movie’s story towards the young sepoy’s love interest.
Movie Mangal Pandey must be watched by the young generation especially to get a glimpse of our past where Hindu and Muslim fought equally for our land against British and not with each other.It gives a very relevant message also that East India company came only for business here and were not concerned with anything else as these days MNC’s are doing.The flourishing junk food business and soul-less western culture in India is weakening us physically and morally.
Hope we get their message at least through this movie, they mean BUSINESS only even after 200 years.The motive of west still remains same-BUSINESS.
Beyond the histrionics of Aamir Khan, innocent charm of Amisha and Rani and our ever ending attraction towards British accent(I don’t know why), Mangal Pandey-The Rising gives us or reminds us of something very important to us-A message of always going with our conscience, believing in ourselves and Never ever giving up no matter what.
Thanks for reading my review.