If u have something to say, say it clearly. If u dont have something to say, don’t. May be, Mr. Ketan Mehta needs to be told this.
The only good and worth respecting thing about the movie is the name the makers have used for the title - Mangal Pandey. Rest all is an ugly, rather desperarate attempt to cash on a legend. In a nutshell, it just ain’t a bad film, its a BIG DISGRACE to the person called Mangal Pandey.
How else do you explain the Mangal’s endless lotas of bhaang, and him dancing around with la-mallika sherawats in a raunchy number - that RISES out of no where in the film, and that too, when the protagonist is troubled with the kartoos issue.
Is it really necessary to make a film when all info u have about the person is - He rebelled against the use of bullets laced with cow and pig fat. Even if some setups are injected, is it really sensible to infuse it with meaningless songs - except the title track - Mangal, Mangal....
As the film proceeds, which is in flashback, you realise how hollow it is, with a very shallow historical information. The efforts shows - efforts to cook up a 3 hr story, by putting in an affair of Mangal Pandey with a prostitute (ok..forced into it), some throw-up imagination of a scriptwriter. The sati issue has been brought up as a part of filler content, which was fine. But the many songs..wish they were made to do the sati..!
Though the film is cinematically good at times, with some visuals and sequences gripping, like the scene when aamir khan stands in front of the mouth of the canon, or when he beats the lecherous firang, who tries to molest heera (rani mukherjee).
But the few involving scenes happen like a trailer in between the whole film.
1947 - a love story was, in comparision, a great, and asthetic depiction of the freedom fighters and struggle. A film like Mangal Pandey works negatively as a double edged sword. First, it robs you of your expectations of seeing a decent piece of work, and secondly (a rather serious note) - for people, probably the younger lot, who are not much aware of the history and the role of mangal pandey,
his name has now become synonymous with a stupid, wannabe film, which has made a joke out of everything Mangal Pandey probably ever was.
I might be sounding like taking it too close and personal, but media has its responsibilities and it is all the more expected, when u have reputed people like Ketan Mehta, who are known for taking off the beaten track themes. But this time, I think, Mr. Mehta forgot if there is any track at all he’s running on!
For our method actor Aamir Mangal Khaan Ji, wasn’t four years gap enough to trigger an ’awakening’ for him to realise what was he getting involved with?!. Coming back to this sensibilities-shaking 3 hr ordeal, this is definitely not the film for which people will say HALLA BOL.. to theatres.