Director: Randeep Hooda
Cast: Randeep Hooda, Amit Sial, Ankita Lokhande and others
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 2.5 stars
Actor Randeep Hooda tries his luck in bringing forth the untold tale of a patriot Veer Savarkar, who fought for India’s Independence. With the runtime of 178-minutes, Hooda’s biographical film is bothersome.
In the times, when social media has made the audience's attention span almost zero, it is really difficult to even sit through a history chapter of the unsung Indian warrior.
Veer Damodar Savarkar (Randeep Hooda) along with brother Amit Sial decide to make an unbroken nation with the slogan of ‘Akhand Bharat’ but fate has its own path. The two even get imprisoned at Kaala Paani but they are unstoppable.
With different ideologies and value system than Muslim League Party, Veer forms and leads Hindu Sabha but soon after is accused of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination along with Nathuram Godse.
Randeep, who marked his directorial debut, makes a film highlighting Veer Savarkar’s contribution to the Indian Independence, his writing abilities, his thought process, noted work for the people of pre-independent India. He took his own sweet time in enlightening Veer’s pain, valour, shortcomings and so on.
His first half is too bookish and lengthy that it becomes tough to sit through the interval. However, his stellar act right from the beginning is the saving grace entirely. The second half is truly compelling, a bit engaging and palatable to the current political climate of the country.
Ankita Lokhande, who plays Veer’s better half Yamuna Bai has much more to offer in the second half. She approximately has 8-9 scenes in total but she is convincing. Amit Sial is watchable. Rest of the cast does justice to their parts but definitely Hooda is knight in shining armour of the film in every way possible.
The film's pinnacle lies in Veer’s viewpoint on forming a Hindu nation and propagating Hinduism and the actual meaning behind the religion. Hooda, also sheds light on the interpersonal relationships of Gandhi, Jinnah, Indian National Congress and so on.
Veer Savarkar is probably the tenth patriotic film in a row since 2023 and no matter how socially relevant the movie is, overdose of it really isn’t worth it.
Randeep’s film is a slow burner and it drains you with facts and figures but it is a well-intended project that might strictly excite and appeal history lovers.
