Reached home just now after watching the movie Mangal Pandey, lot of hype, lot of expectations and in the end you come out with kind of sad face…
That’s what had happened with me…
The story
Director Ketan Mehta sweeps you back to 1857 when India was still grappling under the might of the East India Company. Indian soldiers spread across the country fought wars for the British in mute silence, despite living in penury themselves.
Mangal Pandey (Aamir Khan) is just another sepoy, ready to lay down his life for the force. His best friend is a white man, Gordon (Toby Stephens), whose life Mangal has saved during a battle in Afghanistan.
The problems begin when the British introduce a new rifle, which has its cartridges smeared with animal fat. Mangal and his entire regiment revolt against the new cartridges on religious grounds.
What begins as a mere rebellion against artillery eventually translates into a nationwide movement. Mangal Pandey is punished for his actions and subsequently hanged but he succeeds in laying down the foundation for an upcoming freedom struggle.
The story taken from Mid Day
My Review
I didn’t find the movie that good, the main flaws of the movies were, too many songs which were stuffed everywhere unnecessarily and unnecessary scenes. Sometime you feel like…what the hell is happening…the story was going on well and suddenly some song starts for no reason….
And apart from the songs they had tried to put some masala in the movie too…i.e. by adding kind of vulgarity…specially in the beginning of the movie when Kiron Kher meets Rani Mukherjee for the first time…the dress she was wearing…it was like she was trying to expose at this age, 2nd one was song Rasiya….I had no idea what two females were trying to do…it was like they were dancing in some dance bar haha….
There was also no need to show the kissing scene between Amisha Patel and Toby Stephens…these are things which acts as hurdle in the movie…
People went for this movie keeping patriotic theme in their mind but when they watched the movie, they find that it’s a mixture of patriotism and masala which lends up in creating a mess…
But there are plus points of the movie too…specially the relationship between Mangal Pandey (Amir Khan) and William Gordon (Toby Stephens), Amir Khan’s acting….but apart from that there is nothing much to look for in the movie…
So in short, movie is worth watching on DVD or VCD but no need to pay a visit to the theatre…
I give 2 stars out of 5
lol
this movie worth only watching in the theatre..
Atleast some one took steps to bring back forgotten heros in front of world, otherwise today’s generation only Only knows Gandhi and Nehru regime.. projected as only people who give India freedom..
I feel proud of Ketan who took a step ahead and narrated a relatively lesser known leaf from indian history. Remember this was the first ever try to fight for freedom. 🙂
Arun you are right..the movie is worth watching..except some scenes the whole movie is engrossing.It will leave the audience in a mood to fight for the freedom once again…the way aamir depicted the ‘halla bol..’ should be seen to beleive the pain that every Indian would have went through.Please dont publish such negative things about Mangal Pandey…let India rule..
The movie is truly wonderful. I am planning to go for the second time.
Please kindly check these links and forward them to as many people as possible .
We should know what exactly happened in those times.
http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/univercity/the_trial_of_mangal_pandey_i.html
http://www.kapadia.com/TheMutinyinDelhi.html
http://www.kapadia.com/zafar.html
I agree with you. The film was a let-down in the face of all the hype created around it. It didn’t manage to inspire any kind of patriotism. A lot of thought obviously went into its making, agreed; but the actual rising seemed to play second fiddle to the character of Mangal Pandey. The planning of the revolt/mutiny was hardly explored.
And does everybody have to hail this movie as a classic, even before they fork out money to see it, just because Aamir Khan’s in it and we’ve been hearing about it for the past four years?!
Frankly speaking the movie was a mess. The director seems to have forgotten the entire purpose!it was a great let down by a director like ketan.I think had he made the movie from a true historical perspective neglecting the “masala”part of it ,it would have done ‘The great Martyr’ some justice.
Anyway the movie is worth watching once as it leaves ur blood boiling and reminds us of the atrocities of “The english”..and not to forget the “language” and “culture” that still lurks behind!
A big jack Ass movie..neva expected from this KHAN….
It was a big let down… you bet…
It all boils down to “expectation we have from people”
That is bound to happen when it was precluded with the level of hype.
All Marketing B.S.
Its good for aamir also, now he would under hype ‘rang de basanti’ and it would works.
– Pankaj “The Bear” Gill