Swatantrya Veer Savarkar receives a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, offering a portrayal of the iconic freedom fighter’s life that is both enlightening and burdensome.
Directed by Randeep Hooda and featuring a talented ensemble cast including Russell Geoffrey Banks, Jay Nano Patel, Rajesh Khera, Santosh Ojha, Ankita Lokhande, Amit Sial, Anjali Hoodfa, and Randeep Hooda himself, the film delves into the lesser-known aspects of Veer Savarkar’s persona. It unveils his fervent desire for an inclusive India liberated from British rule, presenting numerous startling revelations along the way.
However, despite its commendable attempt to shed light on Savarkar’s journey, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar falls prey to its own ambition. The narrative becomes bogged down by the overwhelming volume of Savarkar’s life events, resulting in an overly drawn-out storytelling approach that struggles to consistently engage and captivate the audience.
While the film has its moments of brilliance, particularly in its latter half, where the narrative gains momentum, viewers may find themselves seeking occasional respite, especially during prolonged sequences such as the ‘Kala Pani’ phase.
Ultimately, whether one should watch Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is subjective. While it offers invaluable insights into Savarkar’s remarkable life, potential viewers should be prepared for moments of boredom due to the film’s extended runtime. Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is available for viewing through theatrical release, offering a comprehensive runtime of 178 minutes.”
Review of the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: Script Analysis
The main flaw in this biopic is the script. While a small amount of dramatic fiction can be judiciously inserted into cinematic life sketches, the current film goes too far into extraneous details such as the hangings of numerous freedom fighters and numerous incidents of the freedom struggle from across the nation. It stays in one area of the Andaman and Nicobar cellular jail for an excessive amount of time, which causes it to stray into areas it should have avoided. Furthermore, it portrays Savarkar as having encouraged Netaji to join the battle against the British, which does seem a little unrealistic.
We are all aware of the ideological conflict between Savarkar and Gandhi, but in this film, Gandhi is presented as a one-dimensional pro-Muslim leader. While this portrayal of Gandhi may be grounded in fact, it may also alienate certain viewers and lead to the film being labeled as “propaganda for elections,” a common criticism leveled at recent historical dramas packed with facts.
However, there are a few fascinating tidbits about our freedom struggle and Savarkar that I was unaware of, including the fact that Ganesh (played by Amit Sial), the brother of Savarkar, was also incarcerated in the Cellular Jail. The fact that he was detained even for plotting Gandhi’s murder astounded me as well.
While many people still mouth the term “Hindutva” as an anti-Indian, anti-secular term, the script does a commendable job of illustrating its true meaning. Regardless of their religious beliefs, it also emphasizes Savarkar’s fervent belief that Indians are Indians first and foremost. We also witness all freedom fighters, Sikhs, Parsis, and Muslims, fervently reciting “Vande Mataram,” despite the fact that it is now mistakenly regarded as a Hindu form of devotion and disapproved of as a “communal” chant!
Though balanced in its research and content, the script becomes overly complicated overall. Regretfully, Utkarsh Naithani and the rookie director also wrote it, but it hardly seems like a movie that audiences will enjoy at the box office.
In my opinion, the main goal of a message film or movie about an icon, such as Veer Savarkar, should be to disseminate accurate information and convey a relevant message. And the writing falls terribly short in this regard.
Here is the Trailer for the Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Movie
Review of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: Outstanding Performance
The performances in a film like this are crucial, but even in this case, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar is uneventful. As the freedom fighter, Randeep Hooda is simply outstanding. It is also evident that he is deeply committed to the character he is portraying. I was particularly struck by the sparkles in his eyes, which so skillfully conveyed a wide range of feelings, including love, irony, rage, frustration, and of course, pain. As Ganesh Savarkar, Amit Sial exudes the same passion that he does in every role.
However, the supporting cast doesn’t find many essays that stand out. Gandhi is portrayed negatively, as was already mentioned, and Rajesh Khera was probably not the best option as well. Ankita Lokhande is a total waste of time. The actor portraying Dr. Ambedkar truly comes across as a non-entity, while the actors playing important roles like Jinnah, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Madame Cama, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Lokmanya Tilak receive dreary parts.
Additionally, the actor portraying the Muslim jailor ham to the hilt and Russell Geoffrey Banks as the warden of the Andaman Islands.
Review of the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: Direction, Scoring
As a director, Randeep Hooda takes on too much and fails to leave a lasting impression. Additionally, he alienates the audience by highlighting incidents, statistics, events, and locations exclusively in English on screen when Hindi should have also done the same. His penchant for dark shots—which are frequently unnecessary and overdone—during pivotal moments suggests that his dull-acting vehicle, Sarbjit, may have had an undue influence. An excessive amount of this “reality”-based treatment can ruin a strong movie.
The songs are simple and uninspired. However, Sandesh Shandilya and Mathias Duplessy deserve praise for their background score, which is usually flawless.
Review of the film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: The Final Word
This is a sadly unmoving life story of a pivotal figure in the Indian liberation movement and continued significance after independence. Watch it if you must, but if you want to learn more about what a passionate, fiery person Veer Savarkar was and how (really) entertainingly action-packed his life was, I highly suggest watching the authentic 2001 Hindi biopic Veer Savarkar!
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