Movie Review: Shershaah
In 1999, Pakistan started a series of skirmishes which resulted in a full-blown war between India and Pakistan. It started on May 3, 1999 and ended on July 26, 1999. Pakistani troops held the higher ground during the conflict but our brave soldiers were able to destroy each and every bunker of the enemy and recapture every position, ending the conflict with a decisive victory. Some of them paid the ultimate price in order to obtain the objective and one such braveheart was Captain Vikram Batra, who was posthumously awarded with India’s highest military honour, the Param Veer Chakra, for his valour displayed during the capture of a vital position, Point 4875. It was later named Batra Top in his honour. Captain Batra’s story was touched upon briefly in JP Dutta’s tribute to the Kargil war, LOC:Kargil (2003). He was already famous before that, thanks to a Barkha Dutt interview. His war cry, Yeh Dil Maange More, touched the nation’s imagination. Every teenager back then wanted to join the army because of that.
Captain Batra was a larger-than-life figure and his story has been faithfully reconstructed in Shershaah, which alludes to his code-name in the army. Writer Sandeep Srivastava and director Vishnuvardhan have recreated key elements from the brave officer's life. His fiancee, Dimple Cheema, was his emotional anchor and chose to remain unmarried after his death. They were together only for a brief period during the four years they knew each other but were fiercely devoted to each other. The film makes sure Dimple’s sacrifice too gets known. Their love story is an old-fashioned, slow burner romance which feels real. Dimple revolted against her family to be with Vikram and stood true to her convictions even after his death. The makers haven’t gone overboard with melodrama while depicting their relationship and it offers the right kind of balance to the action scenes depicted in the film.
The film is narrated by Vikram’s twin brother Vishal, who is also played by Sidharth Malhotra. Vishal is a banker by profession and also became a motivational speaker after his brother’s death. Vikram is shown to be a tenacious lad right from his childhood. He grows up idolising the army and later realises his dream, passing out as a lieutenant in 1997 gets a commission into the 13th battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (13 JAK RIF). He’s shown to be popular young officer, easily mixing with the locals, believing in winning over their hearts and minds as an effective tool against terrorism. He narrowly survives an ambush and later successfully hunts down a high-ranking commander. He comes home for holidays just before Kargil begins and goes back to the front voluntarily to be with his unit. He is successful in capturing Point 5140 and gets promoted to the rank of Captain for his bravery. He’s ordered to rest and recuperate after the successful operation but instead volunteers to lead the operation to capture the crucial Point 4875. Not caring for his own safety, he helps rescue two colleagues. He then leads the final offensive against the enemy bunker, even though gravely wounded by an enemy sniper and is successful in the end in his objective.
The scenes portrayed in the film may look over-the-top but if one reads the army dispatches about Vikram Batra, one realises that they happened more or less on the same lines as is depicted in the film. Some people are born warriors and Captain Batra was one such person. He was a staunch patriot and died defending his country with a smile on his face.
Soldiers live by their own masculine code. They are a band of brothers looking out for each other under harsh conditions and the bullet that takes a buddy’s life makes an impact on those left alive. They’re not mere killing machines but have a life beyond their postings. But what sets them apart is their total dedication to the job, their devotion to their motherland. Vishnuvardhan has managed to capture the essence of it all impressively. The film has technical finesse as well, what with the well-researched combat scenes bringing the war right to your living room. The CGI is spot on, as are the action sequences. Kudos to cinematographer Kamaljeet Negi for bringing alive the harsh beauty of war and to editor A Sreekar Prasad for his deft scissor work. He has made sure the film flows on an even pace, which is so essential for an actioner.
It’s Sidharth Malhotra’s best performance till date, who looks like Dharmendra from Haqeeqat in the film. His honest face symbolises the purity of a young soldier to a T. He has managed to capture every nuance of Vikram Batra personality and looks perfect in every frame. The infatuation he feels towards Kiara’s character is bang on and so is the naivete he displays as a rookie. Later, the battle-hardened warrior shines through as well. You root for his character throughout the film and want him to have a happy ending, even when you know it’s not going to be possible. Kirara Advani too shines in her portrayal of Dimple Cheema. She makes sure to convey both the strength and vulnerability of Dimple. The last scene where she breaks down is bound to get a lump in your throat. It’s another fine performance by Kiara, who is progressing as an actor with every film. Shiv Pandit, Sahil Vaid, Nikitin Dheet et al too have done their job well.
Shershaah is unlike anything Dharma Productions has ever made. It is a film made to be enjoyed on the big screen. It has blockbuster written all over it and it’s box-office success would have convinced Dharma to experiment more in terms of genres. Hopefully, they would still do that. One feels for Sidharth Malhotra in particular in the sense that his best work so far couldn’t have a theatrical release. Captain Batra was an example to us all and kudos to the makers for doing wholesome justice to his extraordinary life...
Trailer : Shershaah
Ronak Kotecha, August 12, 2021, 11:30 AM IST
STORY: ‘Shershaah’ chronicles the events in the run up to the Kargil war and the role of Captain Vikram Batra (PVC), whose indomitable spirit and unparalleled courage contributed immensely to India’s victory.
REVIEW: The Kargil conflict – the toughest mountain warfare ever. Fought at a dizzying altitude of 17,000 feet, this historic war had a lot at stake. The Pakistani troops had infiltrated into the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC), disguised as Kashmiri militants. The skirmishes quickly escalated into a full-blown war that also chalked the journey of a soldier from Lieutenant to Captain for his absolute dare-devilry and patriotic spirit to unfurl the tricolour at the highest point of conflict. Even if that meant laying down his own life for the cause.
But before we get there, director Vishnu Varadhan and his writer Sandeep Srivastava take it slow. So we are taken right back to a childhood sequence of Captain Vikram Batra (Sidharth Malhotra) and shown his growing up years, finding the love of his life Dimple Cheema (Kiara Advani), before he is finally posted at the 13 JAK Rifles as a Lieutenant. While this build-up depicts the character’s journey, it doesn’t do so very sharply to merit so much screentime. In fact, most of the times, Kiara Advani’s track and the romantic songs featuring her, feel like a distraction from the heavy-duty subject at hand. This also impacts the pace of the film that suffers from a slow first half.
Of course, director Vishnu Varadhan had a mammoth task of doing justice to the copious amounts of data and milestones from the Kargil war, but the bulk of it is dealt with, in the second half. Sidharth Malhotra shines in the war scenes and his performance evolves through the film. His earnest efforts to recreate the aura of his character’s larger-than-life persona shows on screen and this is one of his better performances. Kiara Advani looks her part as a resolute Sardarni, who loves her man with all her heart. But she doesn’t have much scope to perform.
Shiv Panditt is very aptly cast as Captain Sanjeev Jamwal, who is tough on the outside, but emotional from within. Nikitin Dheer is impressive as the cheerful Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia and so is Shataf Figar as the straight talking Col. Yogesh Kumar Joshi. Together, these men make for an able team that you will root for, at all times. Among the many other character actors, there are a few stereotypes and clichés too, especially on the Pakistani side.
The film’s overall tone is obviously high on patriotism. Many combat scenes don’t reflect the large canvas that the film is set up on, perhaps more deserving of a big screen experience. Yet, as an industry, Bollywood has seldom churned out epic war films that have been critically and commercially acclaimed. By those standards, ‘Shershaah’ ranks high than most of the recent war dramas and tells an inspiring story that needs to be told.
The source material of this film is so strong that it is bound to grip you once the men in uniform take it upon themselves to drive out the enemy and reclaim our land. ‘Shershaah’s biggest victory is its effort to recreate one of the most important chapters of our recent history with characters, who lead the way to a rousing climax.
