Cast :

Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Ameesha Patel, Toby Stephens, Coral Beed, Kirron Kher, Varsha Usgaonkar, Habib Tanveer.

Crew:
Director : Ketan Mehta
Producer : Bobby Bedi, Deepa Sahi
Music : A.R Rahman
Lyrics : Javed Akhtar
Director of Photography : Himman Dhamija
Editor : Shreekar Prasad
Screenplay : Farrukh Dhondy
Stunts : Abbas Ali Moghul
Choreography : Raju Khan, Saroj Khan, Sandip Soparrkar
Costume Design : Lovleen Bains

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The movie starts in an almost epic-like, grand fashion with an elephant giving a symbolic clarion call for freedom. It takes your breath away, but the pace of the story, especially in the first half (to set the tone) is a little long drawn. In the end, it is not a ‘Lagaan’ (which the makers didn’t want it to be anyway) meaning that in terms of entertainment value, it falls a star short.

The film, set in 1857, is about Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in the British army. Revolving around this simple Brahmin, the movie unfolds the turbulent times and the happenings that changed the history of India. It shows the unrest brewing against the British who set up the East India Company as traders and finally settled down as rulers. It is also a platform around which the next century would revolve. The film also addresses a lot of factors like abolition of Sati and the caste system that created the mood for the restlessness among the Indians.

Aamir’s character evolves from a very simple, staunch Brahmin who is happy to receive his Rs 7/- salary from the British to a man who fired the imagination of a nation. Mangal shares a deep friendship with a British commanding officer, Gordon whose life he once saved. Though, he practices untouchability and maintains his Brahaminical faith, but time and again he shows that he would not tolerate any injustice done to his fellow Indians. He falls in love with Heera (Rani Mukherjee) a prostitute. He dares to visit her where only Englishmen, eunuchs and untouchables were allowed to go. What triggers off the revolt is the supposedly greased cartridges laced with cow and pig fat. To use them the soldiers have to bite into them to break the seal. When the regiment officer commands them to use the greased cartridge in their rifles the regiment refuses to do so. On Gordon’s assurance that no animal fat is used in them, Mangal Pandey steps forward and uses them. Soon they discover the truth and Mangal feels betrayed and hurt. This toughens him to take a stand to lay his life for his country. He realizes that he was not fighting for his hurt religious sentiments but for his own freedom and for the freedom of his country. In the end he is shown smiling - unafraid of death.

Coming to the much talked about look that Aamir worked on and gave 2 ½ years maintaining it, the long tresses and his moustache give him an uncanny resemblance to the sketches of the real life Mangal Pandey. Whether it’s his uniform or his dhoti and the sacred-thread, there’s authenticity written all over the film. As a staunch Brahmin, he is shown bathing in the Holy river, cooking his own food and wearing a caste-defining long red ‘tika’. He does not speak chaste Hindi as a Brahmin should, since he has not undergone any formal education. And yet, he is not the rustic that we saw in ‘Lagaan’; he is a much traveled man thanks to the movement of his battalion to various states. He has the capacity to think that if the struggle for freedom is launched at the same time in different parts of India the company would definitely loose the battle as the sepoys outnumbered the British. And Aamir plays that with his amazing repertoire of emotional intensity and talent. As always, Aamir scores a 10 for the sheer getting into character and dedication. Making that extra effort to define his role apart from a ‘Lagaan’ set in similar era among the very same Britishers; the touch of ‘urbanisation’ in character shows – however subtly. For his character, Aamir has put on weight and made an effort to look older to give more gravity to the character of Mangal Pandey. He comes across as a serious guy throughout the film except when he along with Gorden under the influence of ‘Bhang’ plays a prank on the unsuspecting British officers. One of the film’s rare light moments in a heavily charged atmosphere throughout.

As far as the performances go, needless to say, Mr. Perfect Aamir Khan becomes Mangal Panday and emerges as a top notch actor (as if that were ever in doubt) yet again. Almost the sole focal point of the film. He delivers yet another riveting performance. Rani Mukherjee, sexy and dusky as ever, has done justice to her crisp, short role as the betel-juice spouting prostitute; though her costumes look far too contemporary, with plunging necklines, uncharacteristic for that era. Ameesha as a young widow who is rescued by Gordon is hardly noticeable in her miniscule role but is sincere. Om Puri as a narrator fills the gaps in his deep baritone. Toby Stevens is highly impressive as Gordon, the British officer who comes from a humble background and makes India his home. He has made a good attempt to learn and convey in Urdu and Hindi. Kiron Kher as the 'kotha' owner is good.

Cinematography is excellent and the canvas huge. The ‘tripping’ point, surprisingly, is the music by A. R Rahman. It’s not as appealing as a movie of this stature (and for a musician of his class) demanded; except perhaps, ‘Mangal-Mangal’ rendered by Kailash Kher. One of the later songs almost reminds you of an item number. Completely unnecessary.

The film conveys a message which is the need of the hour; that we should be able to fight for the freedom not only externally but we need to break free from the shackles of our own prejudices, mentally too. It is a good break from the usual hi-tech movies with hunks and babes. Though the pace of the movie is slow in the first half; post interval it catches up. Highly recommended for gen. X to get a fair idea as to how our society has evolved from the 19 th century to the present day.

We recommend ‘The Rising’ as a must see if only for the powerhouse comeback of Aamir and to remind today’s young generation of their glorious history and how the struggle for independence was started by one man. For the rest, it is not a classic by any means; falling into the rut of commercial enterprise and the requisite ‘items’ of modern audiences.

Courtesy: Filmfare

Another Review...

History is not easy to portray.
But Ketan Mehta has done a valiant effort to create a landmark cinema.
Despite some of its various obvious short comings , Mangal Pandey - the film is a clear winner.

Here are some of the reviews from various critics world over :

By Taran Adarsh, August 12, 2005 - 09:30 IST

Ratings : ****

An Aamir Khan film is special. And if the actor happens to take a [almost] 4-year sabbatical from work and returns with a period epic, MANGAL PANDEY, you wait with bated breath for the overtly choosy actor to mesmerize his fans and cinelovers yet again.

Aamir's teaming with director Ketan Mehta as also producer Bobby Bedi, names synonymous with quality cinema, conjures images of an ambitious epic that could well be India's answer to the Mel Gibson classic BRAVEHEART.

Talking from the economics point of view as well, there's a lot riding on MANGAL PANDEY. The stakes are high, the industry can't afford biggies to bite the dust.

A slice of history that explores the mutiny of 1857, MANGAL PANDEY balances form and content beautifully. Lavishly mounted and recreating the era with precision, MANGAL PANDEY suits the term 'landmark cinema' and has all it takes to help Bollywood take a giant step into world cinema with pride.

Ketan Mehta's execution of the subject leaves you tongue-tied, the visuals appear true to life, the performances [so essential in a film of this genre] are absolutely spellbinding, the sequence of events that led to the mutiny are carefully explained. Result: The viewer cannot help but get transported to an era when British ruled India.

Recreating history is difficult and making you glued to your seats for the next 3 hours could be taxing if the content doesn't live up to your expectations. But MANGAL PANDEY talks about the martyr, his heroism, his contribution to India's freedom movement so effectively and immaculately that you can't help but salute the great freedom fighter.

To sum up, MANGAL PANDEY is a brave attempt on the part of its makers to bring to life an important chapter from history. And make you realize that the freedom we enjoy today is only because of our predecessors, who gave their blood for the nation. The film succeeds in arousing patriotic feelings without a shred of doubt!

Mangal Pandey [Aamir Khan] is an Indian sepoy serving Britain's East India Company. Mangal rescues his commanding officer William Gordon [Toby Stephens] on the battlefields of Afghanistan and the two men develop a friendship. The Hindi-speaking Gordon is sympathetic towards the locals, which is in stark contrast to most of his white colleagues.

The story takes a turn when the British introduce a new set of rifles. To use them, the sepoys are required to bite the bullet. The paper cartridges encasing the gunpowder contain beef and pig fat.

Neither Hindu nor Muslim soldiers are prepared to use the new cartridge on religious grounds. Trusting Gordon that the cartridges do not use beef and pig fat, Mangal bites the bullet, but when the sepoys learn the truth, Mangal revolts and leads a rebellion that sows the seeds for the end of the East India Company's reign.

Attempting a period film in an era when the focus is on candyfloss, escapist cinema is nothing short of a challenge. It's a risk, as the storyteller just cannot deviate from history, indulge in cinematic liberties, throw songs whether or not the situations warrant them or try to balance serious with light moments. If you talk of national heroes, you ought to remain faithful to the subject-material. And that's precisely what Ketan Mehta does while narrating the story of a great freedom fighter.

MANGAL PANDEY grips you from the very start. A number of sequences [screenplay: Farrukh Dhondy] leave you spellbound --

* The very start of the film, when Aamir is being taken to the gallows.

* The fight between an English officer and Aamir, when the former forcibly tries to molest Rani soon after the mujra.

* Toby rescuing Amisha from the funeral pyre.

* The turning point of the film, when Aamir uses the gun cartridge that has been greased with cow and pig fat.

* Aamir angrily confronting Toby Stephens at the intermission point.

* Aamir facing the British army alone and when he realizes that he would be overpowered, trying to commit suicide by shooting himself.
* The sequence in the hospital, when Toby tells Aamir to apologize, but Aamir sticks to his stand.

* The finale, when Aamir is publicly hanged and a brief B & W newsreel follows.

* Besides, the battle sequences [stunts: Abbas Ali Moghul] have been executed with flourish.

Any loopholes in an otherwise perfect film? The songs seem forced in the narrative. Ideally, the film could've done with two songs, 'Mangal Mangal' and 'Teri Adaon Pe Main Vaari Vaari'. The Holi track as also the romantic song [filmed on Aamir-Rani, Toby-Amisha] can easily be deleted since they only act as barricades in the otherwise smooth narrative.

Another drawback is that certain characters remain underdeveloped. The women don't have much to do in the film. Even the track of the maid [Mona Ambegaonkar], who feeds the British woman's infant, appears incomplete.

Since the film deals with history and British rulers specifically, the usage of English language is imperative, but Om Puri's voiceover in those scenes makes it easier for the average Indian moviegoer to decipher and fathom what's being spoken on screen.

While Rahman's music may not be ever-lasting, his background score has that international feel, befitting an epic. Cinematography [Himman Dhamija] is exceptional, again matching global standards. The locations and the colors only accentuate the visual impact. Special mention must also be made of the production design [Nitin Chandrakant Desai], costumes [Lovleen Bains] and makeup [Penelope Smith, Slash Apeni Sandhu]. Dialogues are natural to the core.

MANGAL PANDEY would look incomplete without Aamir's awe-inspiring portrayal of the great hero. Not once do you realize that the role is being 'enacted'. It's Aamir's splendid performance that makes the film a memorable affair, besides Mehta's storytelling of course. It goes without saying that his performance in MANGAL PANDEY should rank prominently in his enviable repertoire.

Toby Stephens is simply amazing. For an English actor to deliver lines in Hindi and match it with appropriate expressions is no ordinary task. The actor compliments Aamir at every step and delivers a knockout performance that would only draw applause from Indian moviegoers.

Both Rani and Amisha don't get ample footage. Rani is wonderful in a small role, but Amisha is relegated to the backseat completely. Kiron Kher is effective in a neat cameo. The film has a number of actors, but those who make their presence felt are Mukesh Tiwari, Sohrab Ardeshir and Amin Hajee.

On the whole, MANGAL PANDEY is a film of epic proportions. A genuine attempt at bringing alive a great hero on celluloid, the film will only bring pride and prestige in the domestic market as well as on the international platform. At the box-office, with the distributors flooding the market with extensive prints and multiplexes performing 12-15-18 shows a day, the first 4-day weekend [Monday, 15th August is also a holiday] will witness historic collections, with the distributors recovering a major part of their investment from the proceeds of the first week itself. Overall, the merits coupled with its business will undoubtedly make MANGAL PANDEY a big grosser.

The film deserves to be tax-exempted in every state of India, so that the heroic fight of a great freedom fighter has an extensive, wider reach.