Sardar Udham
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Amol Parashar, Shaun Scott
The stories of filmmaker Shoojit Sircar and the subject of his current film, Sardar Udham, have clear parallels. Shoojit spent over two decades making this picture, which is unquestionably the most ardent of his passion projects. When he landed in Mumbai from Delhi, he wanted to share this story. However, due to a lack of finances or assistance, he would be unable to realise his ambition for over two decades. Sardar Udham Singh took 20 years to realise his ambition of avenging the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place in his hometown.
Fortunately for those of us who live in a free country or are viewing this masterpiece of a film, none of them was ready to compromise. A simple murder, or a less-than-perfect recounting of it, will not work.
Sardar Udham covers all the bases, particularly the most important ones: intent and execution. At its essence, the film is simply about a hero's quest for vengeance against a villain who has destroyed all he ever loved. We've read and seen many versions of it throughout our lives, but it's rarely presented with such ferocity and depth. Udham (Vicky Kaushal) was a small child when he saw one of the world's most heinous massacres.
It's a trauma that spans generations, compelling him to devote his life and death to avenging the evil who caused it. Shoojit, on the other hand, avoids taking the easy way out.
Through several sequences, the villainy of Michael O'Dwyer (played by Shaun Scott), the man responsible for it all, is hammered into your mind. Whether he's making lectures about the 'responsibility of the white man' to save India from barbarism or justifying the 'necessity' of murdering thousands while drinking scotch in his home, there are many chances for you to feel the fury that blazed in Udham for years in your chest.
While the audience's contempt for O'Dwyer grows, Udham's genuine heroism is exposed only in the final hour of the film. And believe me when I say that nothing can prepare you for the final hour. Rarely has a Hindi film been so brave to be bold and unable to softly convey the truth of the brutality and extreme horror that still lingers in the minds of people who were once impacted. Shoojit is persistent, making you go through over 60 minutes of terrible imagery as if punishing you for not remembering the tragedy frequently enough. The impact, on the other hand, is not one that most viewers would agree with.
Shoojit leaves no stone unturned to keep you captivated in the universe he has created, with production excellence on par with Hollywood wartime films that frequently become Oscar darlings. Although this is his first period picture in almost 15 years, I am unable to put a single edit note to the bottom of any scene for even a minor adjustment.
As Sardar Udham, Vicky Kaushal gives a one-of-a-kind performance that spans three decades of his life. He's as mysterious as a spy, sauntering around London's streets with murder on his mind. As he bellows beautiful words about freedom, he is also a revolutionary. But it's as a 19-year-old Amritsar kid who is thrust into atrocities beyond anyone's comprehension that he shines most. Vicky left you with your nails digging into your own fists as the frolicking youngster in love comes at the terrible last hour. Anyone can't be untouched by his body's exhaustion and the despair on his face.