The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
56 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
8/10
Patriotic - Revolutionizing treat, worth watching!
MuviFan7329 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Tone, Script & Story: The movie moves around, the story of revolutionaries of British ruled India. Some of the major revolutionaries which are portrayed are Bhagat Singh, RajGuru, SukhDev and ChandraShekar Azad. The incidences that are filmed include jallianwala bagh massacre, Kakori train robbery, establishing HRA (further modified as HSRA), Simon Go Back protest, killing of John Saunders, Assembly Bombing, Fasting in prison for equal rights (and achieving success), finally being hanged till death (Bhagat Singh, RajGuru, SukhDev) or suicide (ChandraShekar Azad).

The movie is very patriotic. It shows conflicting ideas between congress headed by Gandhiji and HRA (further modified as HSRA). The movie shows Bhagat's take to revolutionize people of India through think tank of young blood. He suceeded in conveying apparatus for making Bomb to Indians via press, he also succeded in gaining equal rights for all prisoners (English and Indian's alike) and accepting death as punishment with pride. All this while watching in the movie gives one a dose of adrenalin rushing in their veins.

Bhagat's family was welthy enough. They were able to pay 60000, even in those days to provide him bail. Despite such wealth he chose to become revolutionary. The movie informs us about fasting which lasted for atleast 63 days. It had never happened in history before. British Government tried but failed to break their fast.

Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography: Rajkumar Santoshi shines as a director. Screenplay and cinematography are justified as well. Music: music is very good. Acting: Everybody has acted well, the characters of SukhDev and ChandraShekar to watch act was a treat even if it may not be so in real life in past.

Final Verdict: Patriotic revolutionizing treat worth watching.
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Not the easiest Indian film to watch....but a very important film.
planktonrules9 November 2016
s an American, I had no idea who Bhagat Singh was, though I was familiar with the sort of repression that led to his movement. The British were brutal when it came to controlling India. The nation was huge...and the Brits realized that the only way to control such a large nation was through terror and violence. The film "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" does a great job in showing the massacres, the torture of prisoners and the coercion of confessions through beatings...and this is something folks outside of India must know about and accept that it happened. And, as a retired history teacher, I really thought this was a very good and important film. My only reservations were the singing. I know that most Indian films have a lot of singing...that is almost expected. But to throw in a fluffy love song in the middle and a song as the three men are being led to the gallows sure did a lot to deflate the otherwise powerful film. Ajay Devgn was great in the lead and the likeness to Singh was definitely present. The script also was very powerful and I found myself tearing up many times. But the songs...well, a couple of them just had to go. Otherwise, a very powerful and memorable film.
10 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
History Done Right
uncle_g123412 November 2006
I saw this movie after I saw Rang De Basanti. It seems like the title of Rang De Basanti came from the song that Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru are marching to the gallows. Well, many things bothered me about Rang De Basanti. You have these young men with no purpose suddenly decide an assassination is their goal in life. That seemed so distasteful. So when the young men in The Legend devote themselves to revolution and moreover to removal of class distinctions, you at least feel they have some compass. The assassination they carry out follows a brutal massacre of numerous men women and children. The bombing is carried out in such a way to attract attention without killing or injuring. It is just a better feeling than I got in Rang De Basanti. In RDB, the female lead is highly distressed by the use to which her movie is put. The women in The Legend of Bhagat Singh are simply frightened by the danger their men are courting. In the end they understand the nobility of the cause.

Anyway, this is just a much better movie. It does a good, and I think accurate, job of recreating some important Indian history. And the parts are well acted. That's why I rate it 9 out of 10.
4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Excellent representation of one of India's freedom fighters
raj-chakraberti26 November 2004
The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a wonderful representation of India, in the middle of its struggle to throw the British out. As with any with movie with a historical basis, I was a nervous that Bollywood would use artistic license to cheapen the story. In fact, the director, Santoshi shows in details how Bhagat came to develop his views of the British with very little outside distraction.

Ajay Devgan is excellent as a the title character, bringing the necessary passion that only he can provide with his steel-y stare. Of particular note is the scene showing the freedom fighters telling Gandhi to stop working within the British framework. Westerners can see the parallel between Gandhi's nonviolent methods and the more revolutionary Bhagat Singh with Martin Luther King's methods vs Malcolm X "by any means necessary" credo.

As the last reviewer mentioned, it's a great reference for those interested in India's independence struggle and it truly reinvigorated my interest in Indian history.

See this movie if you enjoy eastern history, but won't go for the traditional Bollywood flick.
31 out of 33 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Brilliant Film
sushant_el23 April 2004
The legend of Bhagat Singh is one of the finest movies of Indian film history.The film shows the lifetime of great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.The film depicts his life,his struggle and his determination brillantly..The film not only shows the freedom fighter's struggle,but also his ideologies and his idea of a progressive nation and how he moved the entire nation. The photography,the script,the dialogues(power packed and very thought-provoking)everything about this movie is splendid.A lot of research has gone into making this film.Brilliant performance by Ajay Devagan as Bhagat singh,Sushant singh as Sukhdev.Ajay literally lived the freedom fighter's life.The music adds to the film's beauty. Raj Kumar Santoshi's brilliant effort and a fitting tribute to the son of the soil.Bollywood should be proud of this masterpiece.
38 out of 43 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Very intense and thought provoking
abhi202322 June 2005
As I preach that comments are and should be taken no more than personal opinion of an individual, I, right at the outset would say that GO, GET & WATCH this masterpiece. The director seems to have done his homework properly. Very realistic sets, appearance of characters. As far as story is concerned or better say truthfulness of the story is concerned, history poses as one of the toughest problem. There is no going back. The conflict between Gandhi's non-violence and Bhagat Singh's Tit for Tat philosophy is one of the most touching points of the movie. It eventually leads to execution of Bhagat Singh. How true is that? I am wondering and will always wonder with hope that either Gandhi or Bhagat Singh would come in my dreams and tell me what the truth was. But nevertheless, it is a great movie to watch which will stir emotions. Ajay as Bhgat Singh is brilliant. He is among the finest actors in India indubitably. The other character that impresses is Sushant Singh who makes an impact with his intense performance. All in all, all have done justice with their characters and fit well. Director did good home work and hence a movie that we should be proud of is out there on someone who is perhaps not internationally as famous as Gandhi but for sure was a great freedom fighter, real patriot and a great son of Mother India.
17 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A Fantastic Bio-pic on an Intriguing Figure, but Not Without Flaws
SURJYAKIRAN10 June 2002
The Legend of Bhagat Singh is one of Indian cinema's most ambitious projects to date. After three years of painstaking research and set construction, veteran film maker Raj Kumar Santoshi and actor Ajay Devgan shot the film in a short stretch of six months. The film released early due to competition from other films dealing with roughly the same subject. Overall it's a pretty solid film but one can't help shake the feeling that it could have been a far superior product if it had been worked on for a short while longer.

The film tells the entire life story of Indian freedom fighter and martyr Bhagat Singh who, in a nut shell, grew disillusioned with Gandhi's passive movement and lead an independent violent struggle against the British.

Colonial India is recreated magnificently in the film and the British atrocities committed are portrayed with aplomb by the director. One can truly get a sense of how such frustrating conditions could drive youngsters to violence and revolt. Some of the film's strengths are its hard hitting portrayal of British atrocities, its court scenes and its action scenes.

The film's biggest highlight is its lead performer, Indian actor Ajay Devgan. The actor single handedly manages to uplift even the most dull and unconvincing scenes in the film to a high quality level. His every expression and mannerism is carefully calculated to maximize his impact on the viewer. This man can move audiences to tears or wide smiles with just a few short lines and quick glances from his intense eyes. His work here is par excellence and can easily rival any work done by any grade-A actors the world over.

The supporting cast is good as well, with fellow revolutionary Sukhdev (Indian stage actor Sushant Singh) Bhagat Singh's mother (Indian diva Farida Jalal) leaving lasting impressions as well.

The last excellent thing about the movie is the music by renowned composer A.R. Rahman. The music is not as festive as Bollywood movies usually boast, but that's to be expected considering the subject of the film. The well crafted, soothing ethnic tunes manage to evoke the right emotions without seeming rash and distasteful.

The film isn't without its weaknesses, however. For one, it's obviously a rushed effort. Segments of the script seem under developed and the impact of certain national tragedies on Bhagat Singh's mindset is never fleshed out as one would want them to be.

Also, Bhagat Singh's political ideology (he was a communist, by the way) is never really spelled out for viewers. Instead, they are left to put together pieces for themselves connecting the dots from dialogs and incidents in the film to really figure out the main character's mindset and view points.

The second half of the film moves at an awkward pace, sometimes lingering on minute details and other times racing ahead and skipping crucial events (which are referenced in later dialog). Finally, for a film that remains very objective in presenting most events, viewers will be surprised by a very negative portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi and India's first Prime Minister Nehru. This angle of the film stuck out like a sore thumb to say the least.

For all its faults however, Legend of Bhagat Singh has plenty of strengths to make it a superb film. It tells a great story with style and conviction. It has wonderful performances including one of finest performances ever in Indian cinema by Devgan. It has great action, moving drama, soothing music, and is (overall) a thoroughly rewarding and entertaining experience. It comes highly recommended by me.
30 out of 34 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
This film is a staple on my top ten list!
Sherazade27 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
There were 10 reviews for this film before mine and they all rated it 10 out of 10 stars. If that's not enough to convince you about how powerful this film is, then read on. It's one of the best films to ever come out of India and can also boast some of the best acting talents as well. The narrative is quite simple. This is the story of the legendary Bhagat Singh and his friends, a group of young boys who idolized Ghandhi as children but became disillusioned as they grew into teenagers and witnessed that none of Gandhi's peaceful tactics seemed to have worked on getting the British colonialists out of India nor stop the oppression. Steadily, they begin to rebel and form their own group and politics and soon emerge as freedom fighters. The incomparable Ajay Devgan stars as the grown up Bhaghat Singh and he is just flawless, he shoots this character into the stratosphere of acting that you eventually find yourself believing that this man might very well be Bhaghat Singh. He owns the character, he becomes the character, he inhabits the very essence of this freedom fighter and makes it his own life for the duration of the entire film. Amrita Rao is a dream to see, a breath of fresh air after viewing hours of the violence, bloodshed and senseless British nonsensical banter and poor excuse for logic. She stars here as the suitor for Bhagat but is rebuffed by the man she now loves and respects. You've heard the stories, now see it for yourself in The Legend of Bhagat Singh.
10 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A LEGENDARY FILM
reavan15 December 2003
Reavan recommends The Legend Of Bhagat Singh Product Rating : Plot revealed in review : Somewhat revealed

`The Legend of Bhagat Singh' is an excellent example for flawless filming of the life of a magnificent martyr. Raj Kumar Santhoshi is a director known for raising many quiescent questions and not supplementing the same with adequate answers, but this film was entirely different. The director did the film under petrifying pressure rapidly racing it out with five other filmmakers in bringing the brilliant Bhagat to tinsel town. The superceding selection of authentic actors would have greatly given initial comfort to the director. Ajay Devgan as Bhagat Singh, Susan Singh as Sukhdev, Santhosh as Rajguru, Akilendra Mishra as Chandrasekar Azad, Raj Babbar and Farida Jalal as Bhagat's parents all of them made a mind-blowing mark for themselves in this miraculous movie and in the history of Bollywood. The sub cast lead by Amrita Rao, who plays fiancée were no inferior in delivering the goods. A particular mention to be made of the jailor, and the actors who played the roles of Emerson and Gandhiji .The soundest strength of the film was the amazing ability of Rajkumar Santhoshi to impeccably interweave sentiments and dramatic scenes amidst the course of the film , jubilantly justifying history all the way. The suitable sequences for the former fact are the court scene where gosh approves, Sarfaroshi Ki Tamana song, Bhagat's farewell to his mother etc. The cinematography and art direction have done wonderfully well to keep up with the classy cinema. The lyricist and dialogue writer have been efficiently equal to the tumultuous task and their resourceful role has been a pivotal point in the film. One phenomenal personality who had lent the cutting edge to this memorable movie is `Music Midas' a r rahman. The way rahman marvelously meddles with our minds, moods and music is yet another record of his activating ability and acquaintable acumen. He deserves a resolute round of applause for unbelievably using Sonu Nigam and Sukhwinder Singh. Though the film had not tipped TIPS, the producers benevolently at the baffling box office, the immaculate impact it created is not negligible. It is slowly and steadily creating a sound stardom for Bhagat Singh amongst the youth of the country, which was the cause of the film.
19 out of 21 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Damn this movie needs to be re-released!!
ashishdhawan1215 March 2014
I was 10 years old when i first saw this film.. and now i'm back after 10 years to write a review about it why i felt a need,? i don't know but i guess i just wanted to..

Well the movie starts off from the ending,yeah you'll know when you see it yourself.. and right from the first minute you are glued to the screen i wouldn't spoil it any further..

Because of the time of it's release i don't think a lot of audience was able to see such an important film especially for us Indians. I beg the makers to re release this gem so that our generation remembers what it took to get freedom and are we actually free?

I Thank each and every person involved to make this movie come possible..
9 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Something's fishy
anjummuneer23 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Though the movie is quite good, but I have two objections. First of all, there's hardly any mention of Ashfaqullah khan, who was one of the prominent fellows of Hindustan Republican Army or Association, founded by Ram Prasad Bismil. He was involved in Kakori Train Robbery and because of this he was hanged later. There's no mention of him in this movie. Secondly, in a scene of this movie it's seen that Bhagat Singh, played by Ajay Devgan, is renaming Hindustan Republican Army or Association as Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, which is incorrect, because t'was renamed by Chandrasekhar Azad, not by Bhagat Singh.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
One of the Greatest films from Bollywood.
anshul1312 May 2005
This film is undoubtedly one of the greatest (for me it is the greatest one) movies from bollywood's basket. Director Rajkumar Santoshi has as usual proved himself as one of the few excellent directors bollywood has.He has done a great task of research before making this film.Each and every department of this movie is just marvelous.Every incident is shown with 100% touch of reality.Everything ,right from sets to dialogues creates the real time of that period.As far as acting is concerned, i think this is the most powerful performance from Ajay Devgan.No surprise he got national award for this film.Other actors in film too deserve 100% appreciation.Sushant Singh has been wonderful, so was Raj Babbar.I wonder why this film was not a blockbuster at box office.Well......we all know why....?it wasn't a rubbish stuffs from badjatya,johar or chopras.Well full marks and thanks to Rajkumar Santoshi for this movie.Must see this film.
22 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna...
HeadleyLamarr25 August 2007
The struggle for independence rested on the twin pillars of Gandhi's non-violent protest and the 'tit-for-tat by any means possible' protest spearheaded by Azad, Bismil and Bhagat Singh. The Legend of Bhagat Singh traces the life and times of Bhagat Singh. The film starts as a jumbled collage of rapidly moving pictures, shows a very young Bhagat Singh who is witnessing the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre in a "surreal" way, then moves to his getting thoroughly disillusioned by the backtracking done by the Mahatma, and picks up steam as the young college student Bhagat turns into a firebrand. A ragtag team of comrades gather and nucleate around Chandra Shekhar Azad to rob the train going through Kakori. Then Saunders is murdered by the revolutionaries. Finally in an attempt to show the nation that they are serious revolutionaries and not terrorists and to win popular support for their cause, they blast a bomb in the assembly and are arrested. Many months in prison follow with deprivations, a fast to improve conditions in jail, torture and force feedings. The trio of Bhagat, Rajguru and Sukhdev are sentenced to hang for the murder of Saunders but not before the nation is energized and change is in the air.

Who will not be inspired by such a stirring tale that is reasonably well told? But I cannot help compare this tale to the one told to us by Manoj Kumar in Shaheed. This vibrant colorful tale pales in comparison to that stirring take in black and white so many years ago. It seems heavily inspired by the older film, many songs and situations parallel the old. Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna was not penned in that jail - so if it was an add-on in Shaheed, it was certainly "copied" from that version here. TLOBS falls short in a few areas - it is overly dramatized in many segments and this is a shortcoming for a film that has the backdrop of patriotic fervor. Even a subtle film will do the job, and in fact might do it better as shown in Shaheed. The romantic interlude song was the most jarring, why was the Punjabi Kudi dreaming a fantasy number in the Kashmir mountains? I would have been happy with Sarson Ke Khet. The last song and the trio walking through an interminable Bhool Bhuliaya of corridors was not needed. And why were the women folk on the outside? Was the hanging not moved forward by 12 hours? These faults in the scripting made the film seem like a hurried effort.

The acting ranged from very good to OK. Sushant Singh did a very commendable job as Sukhdev, as did Santosh as Rajguru, Ajay started out shaky but settled into the role quite well by the end of the film. Akhilendra Mishra was excellent as Aazd. The entire British cast was abysmal and the court scenes were quite bad. Bhagat's family was very well depicted. All in all I think this was a decent and informative film, but it could have been so much better if the director had been able to restrain the histrionics and the overly dramatic moments. I give it an A- for effort but only a B for the overall film.

A word about the music - I hate to say this as I think AR Rahman is a genius. But the way the familiar songs Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, Pagdi Sambhal and Mera Rang De Basanti were composed made them seem distorted. I wish he had stayed with the original tunes. This ruined the soundtrack for me.
2 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Simple narrative and top notch acting
mayurdeepz20 October 2004
This movie would top my list of all the patriotic movies I have ever watched. To say the least I have seen a lot of this genre. Rajkumar Santoshi as already mentioned in the other comments must have done a lot of research to come out with such minute details. The narrative was very simple and the fact that it could reach out to the larger mass is evident. That indeed did cut down on the international appeal. But no complains as the objective set out is achieved. Now talking about the acting. It would be only fair to say that Ajay's acting in this movie is at par with his role as Mallik in RGV's "Company" if not better. To get into the skin of such a legendary character and to act like him was an ardent task and Ajay looked effortless while doing the scenes which according to me would give the Khans a run for their money. I had tears in my eyes, when the three martyrs break into that "Rang de basanti" mood in the climax. It will be remembered for a long long time from now. Last but not the least the supporting cast did a splendid job, which is crucial in such a huge feature. Everyone lived out their respective characters. With special mention to the Court Room scenes and the Hunger strike scenes in the cell. There is a lot the young Indians should learn from this movie which in turn would make Bhagat's sacrifices worthwhile. A sure winner from the first shot to the last. A highly recommended must see which should get nothing less but 8/10.
22 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Great movie for the patriots
zaheeralvi5 November 2002
I think a great movie on the history with great acting, direction, music, Photography, effects, sets, clothes and over all the story. The movie has got that touch in it which really makes a person feel that what has happened with the actual person, is shown in the movie very exactly, and specially when the information is coming from the brother of the person. I think this movie is really worth watching and in fact I liked it so much that I bought the DVD of this movie after watching it in the theater.
21 out of 24 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A Great Movie With Ajay At His Best
anshu988320 June 2003
A must watch movie for any patriotic person.Watch it for Ajay Devgan at his best.Sushant is impressive as Sukhdev.the screenplay is tight and the movie outplays it's counterparts like 23 March 1931 :Shaheed.I liked the casting and the costumes.Rehman's music is excellent esp. the songs like Desh Mere & Sarfaroshi Ki Tammana. All in All An Excellent Attempt To Remember The Sacrifices Of Soldiers Of Freedom. 10 out of 10 for this one!
16 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Best Tribute to the Legendary Shahid Bhagat Singh Ji 🙏🙏🙏
danielsmith-4128013 January 2020
Inqalab Jindabaad 💪💪💪 Jai Bharat 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 Vande matram
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Best Bollywood biography movie
vnyhcl20 May 2020
Ajay Devgan's best movie. Every Indian must watch this movie and try to understand the importance of freedom which we got.
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Masterpiece and legend Movie
ankit-7847425 January 2022
Don't know why this movie fail on box office, excellent movie with superb acting of ajay Devgan and all other co stars, dialogues and screenplay was outstanding ultimate.
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A Masterpiece!!
Abusimble122 December 2007
The movie is excellent. Bhagat Singh was an extraordinarily brave man who is portrayed very well by his actor in this movie. The movie is a little too violent in nature for anyone too young. Hence, small children should not see it. The movie shows how much so many suffered for Indian independence. The fehringee rule in colonial India was brutal, barbaric and oppressive. The film doesn't hide this fact and the amount of violence towards the revolutionaries is difficult to watch because of its grotesqueness. However, it was necessary, so that the viewer gets an idea of the truth. This movie will bring any Indian to tears and make him realise the sacrifices made by our forefathers. 10 marks out of 10.
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Brilliant even in 2020
sdrose-419944 December 2020
Will show it to my kids 15-20 yrs from now to show them what happened
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Students can use this movie as a reference for study on Martyr Bhagat Singh.
shehzada018 January 2004
Assalam O Alaikum! This movie is on the third number in my favorite movie list after Sholay and Lagaan. After watching this movie one can say that the director has done a lot of research on the life of the legend because each scene and every aspect of the film reveal the hard work of the director and his research team (writer Anjum Rajabali) who has done a great job. RajKumar Santoshi has given his 100 percent in making this Masterpiece and will be remembered till the Indian Film Industry exists. Everything was too perfect costume, sets, cinematography, music and performances. Ajay Devgan performance for this role will be rated number one in his acting career. Right from his first movie (Phool aur Kaante) he has proved that he is a good actor and brilliant performer but Indian audiences, critics and directors came to know after so many years. This movie deserved 5 out of 5. Allah Hafiz
15 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Reel shows the history
sumanjitbiswal15 August 2020
Just incredible...No other movie on Shaheed Bhagat Singh cannot be so realistic....Aj has done a wonderful job...exceptionally heart touching..Direction ,acting , tracks all 10 on 10...watch it and you will have tears coming down from your eyes.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
An individual dies but enlivens a nation
jmathur_swayamprabha28 September 2012
In the darkness of the night of the 23rd day of the month of March in the year 1931, three dead bodies were burnt in a jungle near Ferozepur (Punjab). The sparks coming out their bodies set the minds of a whole population on fire. A revolution broke out. A nation awakened.

These dead bodies were of three great Indian martyrs - Shivraam Rajguru, Sukhdev Thaapar and Sardaar Bhagat Singh. All being barely 23-24 years old, sacrificed their lives for the cause of liberating their motherland from the shackles of slavery, the colonial rule of the British. Sardaar Bhagat Singh was the first among equals in this threesome.

Born in the house of Sardaar Kishan Singh from the stomach of a brave lady - Vidyavati, Bhagat Singh learnt to love his nation and hate the foreign rule since his early childhood. His uncle, Sardaar Ajeet Singh was a great patriot who spent a major part of his life either in jail or in exile. In such a great family, this great son of India was born with abundant love for his nation in his genes.

A number of movies have been made in Bollywood on the life of this great thinker cum martyr. I consider Shaheed (1965) as the best movie made on the life of this legend. The movie which I consider the second best in this context is The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002.

True to its title, The Legend of Bhagat Singh narrates the legend of this revolutionary from birth to death, covering the historical incidents taking place in that period (1907-1931). Rajkumar Santoshi has directed this movie after a lot of research work. Still a couple of lacunaes got overlooked. At the time of the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) in which a mob had burnt a police station killing many policemen, Bhagat Singh was 14-15 years old but in the movie, Santoshi has committed the blunder of showing him as 10 years old. Besides, the movie portrays Mahatma Gandhi in badlight (he appears to be a supporter of the British) which could have been avoided through careful drafting of the script.

If we ignore these deficiencies, The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a highly authentic and sensitive movie which portrays the life and conveys the message of the great visionary with a high intensity of passion. The movie unlike the other Bhagat Singh based movies, gives proper footage and importance to his fellow martyrs - Sukhdev and Rajguru. In fact, this is the only movie in which these two martyrs have been described in detail and with realism. The character of the leader of the revolutionary group, Chandra Shekhar Aazaad has been given ample footage and his greatness has been brought to fore with vehemence, still his character has not been allowed to overshadow that of Bhagat Singh.

The biggest plus point of this movie is that it has put greater emphasis on the philosophy and thoughts of Bhagat Singh than his armed activities. In discussions inside the revolutionary group as well as in the high tempo drama in the courtroom, the director has focused on the ideas of the young legend whose tender age did not match the maturity of his brains. He was able to look beyond the immediate goal of attainment of political freedom and visualize the future state of affairs in the nation. He understood the reality and knew what should be the ideal state of affairs post freedom. He knew that substition of old masters by news masters will not change the fortunes of the country. The system that ensured exploitation and oppression of the resourceless and the underdog by the resourceful and the mighty, had to be changed. Then only the freedom could be called freedom in the true sense. The movie presents these ideas from the mouth of the great martyr with such a clarify that is rarely seen in the Indian movies.

Technically, the movie is marvellous. The production value is high. The art director and the cinematographer have left no stone unturned in bringing that bygone era alive on the screen. Everything has been shown with a high degree of authenticity. The movie is not unduly long and certain events not supported by the historical records have been avoided. Despite dealing with real life episodes, the movie has not been reduced to a documentary. It is very interesting from beginning to end.

Dialogues are quite praiseworthy. The discussion between Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev regarding the arrest after throwing the harmless bomb and the pamphlets in the central assembly, is damn impressive.

A.R. Rehman has composed the music according to the patriotic flavour of the movie. In addition to the songs written by the martyrs themselves, i.e., Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, Mera Rang De Basanti Chola and Pagadi Sambhaal Jatta; Desh Mere Desh Mere Meri Jaan Hai Tu and Maahi Ve specially impress among the songs which are all admirable. Sameer has written good lyrics for the songs.

Ajay Devgan quite deservingly won the national award for the best actor for this movie. His eyes speak a lot. He not just played the role. He seems to have lived a minuscule life of the immortal hero. Ditto for Sushant Singh as Sukhdev who got perhaps the meatiest role of his acting career and shined like anything. Farida Jalaal as Bhagat Singh's mother, Raj Babbar as his father and D. Santosh as Rajguru are fabulous. Despite his age being on the higher side, Akhilendra Mishra has left a big impression in the role of Chandra Shekhar Aazaad and the scene of his death is a tear-jerker. All others have done their cameos with perfection. Even the smallest character has not been ignored and allowed to maintain its identity.

I pay my tribute to the immortal martyr whose legend will continue to be told generations after generations.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Best movie
tushargupta-2728611 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is totally awesome and best movie ever hats off to our patriotic Jai Hind
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed