One had a lot of expectations when Aamir put in so many efforts like growing his hair to maintain authenticity. Also, Ketan Mehta has directed films like Holi. However, on seeing the movie, it just looked like another Yashraj movie. The time in the movie deovtede to the actual rising is just 5 minutes in the end in form of some commentary by Om puri. A great footage was given to the fictitious English friend of Mangal Pandey and his Fictitious Pro turned Girlfriend (Single hero is a creature unknown to the Yashraj Banner)Wait this is still not enough There is a woman who is saved from being a Sati and ends up in the bed of her saviour. Again, not much difference is seen by the Yash Raj banner between 21st century and 19th Century.
All in all, I am sure that if the duo of Aamir Khan and Ketan mehta had been given enough creative freedom, they could have come up with a more Authentic Piece. This movie is neither an Authentic movie, nor a proper masala movie.
This movie could have been directed by Anil Sharma with Sunny Deol and be =en made a proper masala movie.