An actor after a four year sabbatical...
A producer, who has the courage n conviction to invest huge amounts of money in a film which deals with a risky subject matter...
A director, whose repertoire includes films that are gems from the creative perspective but non existent in commercial terms...
All these factors triggered off a curiosity in me to watch this lavishly mounted epic that has been in the news since its inception. Now the million dollar question is... Is the movie worth the wait n hype?
The answer is... ’’it depends on the perception of the cinegoer’’. The story is is by now well known. It deals with the Mangal Pandey, the first war of Independence n most importantly, it deals with the rising of the conscience of us Indians and also the rising of the thought of India as a nation.
Making a movie on a character, who is just reduced to a footnote in our history and also investing a bomb (last heard 100cr!) is a very risky proposition... commercially...
Anyways... enough of gyan... let’s get down to analysing the movie... Directorially, Ketan Mehta lends a masterly touch to this dream he has nurtured for more than a decade and a half. Right from the scene conceptualisation to shot conceptualisation n execution, the film bears the unmistakable stamp of a genius. Though, his depiction of events n that of India’s socio-economic life will shock some, but still the filmmaker needs to be lauded for showing the guts to take the path less travelled. Many would term The Rising as Aamir show, but I would call it Ketan’s show all the way.
Screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy is absolutely flawless and extensively researched. The chronology of the events only helps the comprehension easier. Dialogues are natural to the core and also the fit the strata of the character mouthing them.
Cinematography (Himman Dhamija) is masterly and has an international feel. In some scenes, the viewer has nothing to do but to view at the canvas with awe for the sheer scale that has given to the movie. Colours only add to the visual impact.
Music is ok, but it is the background score, which is masterly and the decide to use a 70 piece orchestra has paid off rich dividends.
Performance wise, though, everyone of the actor has done fullest justice to his/her part, but the film belongs to Aamir n Toby. They both have lived the characters n conveyed a gamut of expressions with elan. they have lent certain dignity to the parts they portray. Absolutely flawless...
Mangal Pandey-The Rising according to me is Filmmaking at its best... Let’s raise a toast to Ketan Mehta for achieving a near impossible task...