At the outset, Laal Kaptaan is your classic Bollywood revenge drama. What still makes it an interesting watch is how the makers create an interesting world that keeps you riveted.
The film does take time to set up the character and his conflict. For the first half an hour you keep wondering what is the motive behind Saif's title character - is he a messiah who kills dacoits or is he just a mercenary who works for money or a rebel fighting foreign forces until you realise he is on a revenge mission, which forms the crux of the film.
The makers aptly explore the untouched ravines of central India that recreate the bygone era and give the film the intrinsic flavour it demands. The production values are not lavish like a war film but authentic as per the film's demand. The setting often reminds of another film of 2019 (Sonchiriya) which too was rustic, set in ravines and had the same dialogue flavour by same writer Sudip Sharma. Yet Lal Kaptaan manages to stand by itself.
More than the basic storyline, the makers are successful in creating interesting characters - like Zoya Hussain's mistress who desperately vies for her kid's custody, Simone Singh's queen who doesn't want to give her authority and a junior Maratha leader who is stuck amidst impulsive Pindaris. Deepak Dobriyal's character is intentionally kept wacky and over-the-top which he plays a little more animated than required. Alas his character remains peripheral and doesn't contribute much to the central plot. Saif's character is a glamourized version of sanyasi Baba though one wouldn't get to see any aghori angle or Naga Sadhu symbolism over there. You root for the character more for the hunger in his revenge than for his stylization. Also, though he puts a very convincing act, Saif looks fat in several frames.
The suspense that the director desperately tries to maintain till the climax with multiple flashback cuts is, unfortunately, something that you see coming too early in the narrative. That is also because the plot is largely one-dimensional and there isn't any other angle where the makers could have possibly deceived the audiences.
Also in that respect, the film could have been crisper in terms of both it's storytelling and editing. Some scenes just keep going. The unnecessary slow burn kills the audience attention. At two and a half hours, the film does test your patience. A shorter span and faster pace would have easily made it more entertaining. Also there are many subplots from Afghans, British, Pindaris to the Marathas though none is really connected to the main narrative.
Other than Saif, Manaj Vij as the antagonist is authoritative. Zoya Hussain is quite good. Deepak Dobriyal hams at places. Neeraj Kabi, Aamir Bashir and Simone Singh add good support.
The film does take time to set up the character and his conflict. For the first half an hour you keep wondering what is the motive behind Saif's title character - is he a messiah who kills dacoits or is he just a mercenary who works for money or a rebel fighting foreign forces until you realise he is on a revenge mission, which forms the crux of the film.
The makers aptly explore the untouched ravines of central India that recreate the bygone era and give the film the intrinsic flavour it demands. The production values are not lavish like a war film but authentic as per the film's demand. The setting often reminds of another film of 2019 (Sonchiriya) which too was rustic, set in ravines and had the same dialogue flavour by same writer Sudip Sharma. Yet Lal Kaptaan manages to stand by itself.
More than the basic storyline, the makers are successful in creating interesting characters - like Zoya Hussain's mistress who desperately vies for her kid's custody, Simone Singh's queen who doesn't want to give her authority and a junior Maratha leader who is stuck amidst impulsive Pindaris. Deepak Dobriyal's character is intentionally kept wacky and over-the-top which he plays a little more animated than required. Alas his character remains peripheral and doesn't contribute much to the central plot. Saif's character is a glamourized version of sanyasi Baba though one wouldn't get to see any aghori angle or Naga Sadhu symbolism over there. You root for the character more for the hunger in his revenge than for his stylization. Also, though he puts a very convincing act, Saif looks fat in several frames.
The suspense that the director desperately tries to maintain till the climax with multiple flashback cuts is, unfortunately, something that you see coming too early in the narrative. That is also because the plot is largely one-dimensional and there isn't any other angle where the makers could have possibly deceived the audiences.
Also in that respect, the film could have been crisper in terms of both it's storytelling and editing. Some scenes just keep going. The unnecessary slow burn kills the audience attention. At two and a half hours, the film does test your patience. A shorter span and faster pace would have easily made it more entertaining. Also there are many subplots from Afghans, British, Pindaris to the Marathas though none is really connected to the main narrative.
Other than Saif, Manaj Vij as the antagonist is authoritative. Zoya Hussain is quite good. Deepak Dobriyal hams at places. Neeraj Kabi, Aamir Bashir and Simone Singh add good support.