Randeep Hooda plays the title role in this biopic about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who is also the film's director.
Review of the movie Swatantra Veer Savarkar: It's not easy to tell stories about the life of a controversial historical person. But Randeep Hooda's biopic on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, tries to break down and describe the most important events in his life. The result is a three-hour movie that only works in parts and fails to hold your attention for the rest.
The story takes place over more than 100 years, from 1857 to 1966, both before and after freedom. The movie tells the story solely from the point of view of its very controversial main character. It doesn't bat an eye when it does that, especially when it shows him as a feared figure with beliefs that many people might not agree with at first but would eventually accept. Because of this, Swatantra Veer Savarkar is a biased story that doesn't try to show how everyone contributed to India's fight for freedom.
Premise of the film
Savarkar, a politician, activist, and writer, advocated for the idea of Akhand Bharat (undivided India) and Hindutva. He felt that armed revolution was the best way to get rid of British rule. This attitude was in contrast to the non-violent beliefs and philosophies that Mahatma Gandhi advocated for. The fact that the movie does not support or promote the concept of violence, on the other hand, was sorely missed.
It shines a focus on the contributions and sacrifices made by armed revolutionaries, who are sometimes looked down upon since it is commonly believed that nonviolence was the sole factor that led to India's declaration of independence. The purpose of the film is crystal clear: to familiarize us with Savarkar's early life, high points during his time in England when he joined hands with India House and Free India Society, his arrest by the British Police, time spent in prison, and his numerous mercy petitions to British authorities as a political prisoner. The film does this by using bold newspaper headlines to highlight Savarkar's rise and fall into prominence.
Savarkar's life is really fascinating.
Some people called him a hero, while others called him a "bomb golavala" who stirred up violence. He was charged with and found not guilty of several plot ideas. The things that make Savarkar's life so interesting are the things he gave up and how he helped India's freedom fight. The movie doesn't hesitate to slowly turn the pages of his life. The first part does a great job of setting the scene by showing us Savarkar as a child who is devoted to his older brother (Amit Sial), as an adult who is dedicated to his wife Yamunabai (Ankita Lokhande), and as an English law student who is charming and sure of himself. The story and Hooda's direction both get worse in the second half, which is a shame. In the middle of nowhere, he loses his way and can't figure out how to put the pieces back together.
The film highlights Randeep Hooda.
Although the film has pros and cons, Randeep Hooda's performance as the eponymous character, director, co-writer, and co-producer stands out. His incredible physical change (dropping 30kgs) with ribs showing and decaying teeth is obvious and painful to see.
The very frightening images of him being brutally assaulted at the infamous cellular jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and subsequently in Kaalapani leave you with a knot in your throat. He excels in both heroic commander and helpless prisoner roles. Hooda has nailed Savarkar's body language, line delivery, and voice-over, proving his acting skills again.
A mature and dignified approach to scenes
However, the film doesn't depict Gandhi and Savarkar's beliefs clashing, as many expected. The moments between Savarkar (Randeep Hooda) and Gandhi (Rajesh Khera) are mature and dignified. Savarkar's 'Gandhi itna bada kab se ho gaya' may make you chuckle, but it's caustic. Swatantra Veer Savarkar claims it's to not portray its commander as perfect, yet the tale corrects his image multiple times. When Hooda as Savarkar states doesn't despise Gandhi, he dislikes non-violence, or he doesn't hate the British, he hates slavery, injustice, and tyranny, subtle but powerful allusions.
Final thoughts and conclude
The length of the movie and the editing are the two most significant problem areas for the movie. It is a lot more meandering than you might anticipate, coming in at two hours and 58 minutes. Hooda, the actor, shines, but as a filmmaker, he had so much to convey that even with this duration, he struggled to keep your attention. This is despite all that Hooda has to say.
With so much information available, as well as such in-depth study and comprehension of the topic, I would not mind if Savarkar's life was chronicled in a long format episodic series rather than this film that never ends, which loses its direction and our consequent interest in it after a certain point. A long-format series would be more appropriate. Nevertheless, Randeep Hooda's flawless performance and unwavering conviction in the part that he is playing help to redeem it to some extent.
Work/Film
Swatantra Veer Savarkar
Casting Team
Ankita Lokhande, Randeep Hooda, Amit Sial, and Rajesh Khera are among the cast members.