4.0 / 5
History tells us that on March 13, 1940, Michael O’Dwyer (Sean Scott), a former lieutenant governor of the Punjab province, was shot dead by Sardar Udham Singh (Vicky Kaushal). O’Dwyer ordered General Dyer on April 13, 1919, to teach the revolutionaries a lesson they would never forget. Dyer opened fire on a peaceful assembly of about 10,000 people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, killing and killing thousands. Udham Singh witnessed the atrocity first hand and vowed to avenge the tragedy. But as the film points out, it wasn’t just a murder. Udham could easily have killed O’Dwyer before, as he had many opportunities. He chose to do so in a public place, at Caxton Hall, when O’Dwyer spoke of how the British presence had benefited the “Indian savages.” The assassination was a sign of protest against British imperialism.
Udham, though an elder of Bhagat Singh (Amol Parashar) for several years, nevertheless stares at the revolutionary. He joined Bhagat Singh’s Hindu Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and was known in the film to supply weapons and ammunition for them. After Bhagat Singh’s death in 1931, he moved abroad and acted as a kind of solo agent for Indian freedom fighters, organizing funds and weapons from such distant places as America, Russia, Spain and Germany. He maintains several passports and pseudonyms, takes on a number of professions such as film extras, lingerie salesman, welder, stationary dealer and basically escapes the British secret police for several years before taking revenge. He is shown as close to the Englishwoman Eileen (Kirsty Averton), who had ties to the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Udham meets with IRA officials in London and convinces them of their struggle, and his struggle is the same. All these aspects have been faithfully reconstructed by director Shooit Sirkar. Not much is known about this historical figure. Sircar helps us get an idea of the consciousness of this shadow revolutionary. In one scene, he asks a Scotland Yard officer (Stephen Hogan) when asked about Bhagat Singh, “What did you do when you were 23?” In another case, he states that our scriptures say that a person’s youth lays the foundation for his life. “Meri jawani ka koi matlab bana,” he asks. He gives a drunken speech in what is supposed to be Hyde Park, about freedom and freedom of speech, which illuminates his worldview of what a revolutionary really is – a man fighting for the rights of everyone on this earth, demanding equality for everyone citizen, regardless of religion and national borders.
Sirkar spent nearly 45 minutes in the second half of the film, recreating the Jalianwala Bug massacre in all its bloody detail. This segment creates a difficult clock, but look at it, we need to understand why Udham Singh kept the fire of revenge in his heart for 20 years. Udham is shown to take care of the victims who are still alive, to give them water, to take them to the hospital in bodies, to do it again and again until he falls from pure exhaustion. “Which zinda hi,” he asks, and you goosebumps. This is Sirkar’s most touching cinematic achievement. He does not give the viewer any mercy, he makes them feel as helpless, as numb as Udham. Then no words are needed. Images haunt you and will continue to haunt your dreams for days to come.
Art, cinematography, sound design are world class. It is as if Sirkar has somehow transported us back in time. The non-linear narrative also works in favor of the film. The film lasts nearly three hours, but you never feel bored. All the technical finesse in the world doesn’t make sense if the actors don’t do their job. The film rests on the capable shoulders of Vicki Kaushal and he dedicated his soul to the role of Udham Singh. This is his best performance so far. He demonstrates all the nuances of the character he portrays, exposing everything and making us experience every aspect of Udham Singh – be it his revolutionary jealousy, love and respect for Bhagat Singh, the agony created by the Jalianwala Bagh massacre and the loneliness of the secret his search. And all this happens through subtle changes in expression, in body language. He is not strong even once in the film, leaving his eyes and silence to convey the hidden depths of the character he portrays.
We rarely make biographies as good as these. After giving us Udham Singh, maybe Shoojit Sircar should give us Bhagat Singh. This film deserves a movie premiere and we hope that the creators will think about it in the near future.
Trailer: Sardar Woodham