Film Review- Mangal Pandey~The Rising

Aamir Khan in and as Mangal Pandey~The Rising

Starring: Aamir Khan, Toby Stephens, Rani Mukerjee, Amisha Patel.

Direction : Ketan Mehta

Rating : * *

Four scenes and one good song doesn't make a memorable film. I don't know how the film is being critically acclaimed everywhere, but I think its a big disappointment. After a sabbatical of four years and a memorable Lagaan what we get from Mr. Perfect Khan is a half baked history lesson with some unwanted filmi fiction added for reasons only known to the director and the writer.

Ok whats good in the movie, a scene where Amisha is offered as Sati, another scene is where Aamir Khan is agitating against the British and comes forward alone as a rebel, also the scene where Mangal is being taken to be hanged to death and a haunting title song.

And whats not good, well everything else, I just cant believe I got such a film from Aamir Khan. The cinematography rocks. The music by Rehman is absolutely lacklustre except the title song. The direction is patchy, screenplay and script are weak.

Om Puri as the narrator cannot match Amitabh Bachchan, Kirron Kher in a 45 second role is good. Tom Alter, gawd knows what he is doing there, Varsha Usgoankar (if you remember her) is hilarious in her 5 second Rani Laxmibai avatar.

The only actor who gets a thumbs up is, Toby Stephens. Whether its his acting capabilities or his Hindi dialogue delivery with the right expression, he excels. Amisha Patel (Jwaala) in her 3 scene role, cannot rely on this film at all to do her any good. I hope Rani doesn't end the year with this film, coz although she plays the role of a prostitute (Heera) to perfection she is hardly there, even her song Mai Vaari Vaari is unimpressive. And the funniest is when she turns from a pros to a sepoy in the climax, my question is WHY?????????

Last but not the least Aamir Khan can never be bad, rite? but yes he can be odinary at times and this is the perfect example.

With all due respects to Mangal Pandey one of our prominent freedom fighters, I would still say you haven't missed anything if you haven't seen this flick. If you really wanna know about the real Mangal Pandey, I think you can refresh your memory by reading that one chapter about him in the history textbooks.

Jai Hind!

-Sanketh Rao.