How many films based on the Army have either been inspirational or moving? Haqeeqat, Prahaar, Lakshya and 1971 have been realistic portrayals of Army life in the past that touch the aspects of patriotism, devotion, hardships, authority and a soldier’s character. Shaurya makes it to the list of these elite films simply because it is a bold attempt at portraying a human side of the army. Army men can be saints who protect borders and they can also be the other extreme sometimes. Afterall, he is still human and there is a devil in every human.
Director Samar Khan casts an eclectic group of actors for his sensitive subject of the court martial of a dedicated soldier. Loosely inspired by A Few Good Men, Shaurya breaks from the tradition of being a filmy portrayal of the Indian Army. The anti-Pakistan sentiments and corrupt politicians have been avoided in the film. What we instead witness is the transition of a laid-back soldier into a mature, responsible and upright advocate of justice in the military. Javed Khan is wrongly accused of killing a fellow officer during a search operation and the reasons are practically unknown till the very end of the film. What seemed to be a simple trial that would accuse him of being a traitor, would turn out to be a high-voltage crackdown of the top brass of the military that was involved in genocide that targeted a community. Rahul Bose plays the adventure loving younger brother of an Army lawyer, Jaaved Jaffrey who ventures into the beautiful valleys of Kashmir to close the case of the accused Javed Khan. Little did he know that a press reporter would cause him to take his job so seriously that he would forsake everything in search of the truth.
The film takes us through the varied human emotions and circumstances. A committed journalist, Minissha Lamba plays her role very well and it also reminds us of Preity Zinta from Lakshya. Deepak Dobrial played the elusive Javed Khan to perfection. His silence was portrayed well as being out of reserve rather than being cryptic. Jaaved Jaffrey is a fine actor and after a very long time, we see him in a role that justifies his capability. He has been otherwise wasted in Bollywood. Amrita Rao in a brief role plays a widow with the much required calmness and sensibility. Rahul Bose who tries to be funny in the first half, while getting nowhere, finds his ground in the second half of the film when he starts taking his case seriously. This is where Rahul Bose, the actor, is seen in his comfort zone. Rahul’s court room scenes are intense and create a perfect showdown between Kay Kay Menon and him. The most striking performance of the film is by Kay Kay Menon. Undoubtedly, the actor portrays his sinister character with classic abilities that one easily expects from him. Right from his opening scene as the Army General playing golf at the border, his character stands bold, fearless and sharp. Kay Kay’s dialogues hit like baked bricks. No wonder we see Siddhant(Rahul Bose) trying to excuse himself from the debilitating confrontation from his reception at the General’s camp. Kay Kay Menon’s court scene drama is intense and even though the character draws similarities from that of Jack Nicholson’s in A few Good Men, he stands his ground and delivers a performance that will remain in memory.
Shaurya is a bold attempt and a shocking portrayal of the Army. The film avoids all the usual masala but the 2-3 songs could have been avoided. Rahul Bose’s transition, the shocking truth behind Javed Khan’s gunfire and the courtroom scenes are the reasons one should watch Shaurya. But the finest scene does remain Kay Kay Menon’s explanation of the term ‘Shaurya’ and his correlation with Single Malt Scotch. This scene is what defines Kay Kay Menon as an actor. The film also ends with ShahRukh Khan’s recitation of the beautiful poem that describes what Shaurya is and what it is not.
Shaurya relates to the authority to save lives. Not take lives.
- 8.550 on a scale of 1-10.