After 4 yrs long wait...Aamir Khan is back in Ketan Mehta’s(director)most awaited film ’ mangal pandey’...
Aamir Khan stars in the epic true story of the first indian revolutionary, who dared to raise his head against the british empire!
The Rising tells the tale of friends, lovers and enemies, exploiters and exploited, and the growth and awareness of a man and a nation.
Mangal Pandey was a sepoy who sparked the rebellion of 1857. Subsequently the mutiny was called “The Sepoy Mutiny” or “The Sepoy Rebellion” by most of the English-speaking world, while Indians referred to it as the “First War of Independence’’.
Also starring, Amisha Patel, Rani Mukherji, Coral Beed, and Toby Stephens
1857 AD. The entire Indian sub continent is ruled by a company. The British East India Company. The most successful business enterprise in history. The company has its own laws, its own administration, its own army. It controls the destiny of one fifth of humanity. ’Company Raj’ as it was known, had been plundering the country, treating the locals unjustly and causing widespread resentment. After a hundred years of subjugation, the Indian consciousness is rising through the revolutionary prospect of change and self-rule. During a fierce battle in one of the Afghan wars that the Company fought in the mid-century, Mangal Pandey, the heroic sepoy, saves the life of his British commanding officer William Gordon. Gordon is indebted to Mangal and a strong friendship develops between them, transcending consideration of rank and race. The friendship is soon challenged by the introduction of a new rifle called the Enfield. The new rifle has come with a new cartridge which is rumored to be coated with the grease of a cow and pig fat. The new cartridge has to be bitten before it is loaded, which ignites anger and resentment among the Indian sepoys. The cow is sacred to the Hindus, the pig forbidden to the Muslims. They will not touch such a kartoos, it would defile them.
As a result, Indians get angry. Then the news reaches all corners of the country that the new supply of cartridges from Britain is greased with beef and pork.
Sepoys have to remove this grease with their teeth before loading them to their rifles. Indias refuse to do so, but William Gordon who is once again the commanding officer of the Infantry, assures Mangal Pandey that there is nothing like this. Mangal trusts him and chews the cartridge grease only to know that he has been betrayed. He rebels and kills some British officers. British officers order his arrest, and when overpowered by the soldiers Mangal Pandey shoots himself but only to be left wounded. He is captured and courtmarshaled for the revolt and punished with death.
Aamir Khan returns to the silver screen after a break of four years and wins millions of the hearts straight away. He shows why he is called ace Khan. His portrayal of Mangal Pandey is very befitting; the players will surely get many awards for their talent.
Though Amisha Patel and Rani Mukherjee do not have much to do in the film, they have managed to be honest to their roles... Rani playing a prostitute is awesome and even Toby Stephens has done a marvelous job. On the whole, ’Mangal Pandey: The Rising’ is a sure winner at box office and its success is going to give jitters to the forthcoming films. A perfect way to celebrate this year’s Independence Day, isn’t it?